Cavewomen Don't Get Fat (3 page)
Read Cavewomen Don't Get Fat Online
Authors: Esther Blum
The plain truth is that our modern lifestyle and the foods that are aggressively marketed to us are making our bodies and us sick, fat, bloated, and unrecognizable. It's time to revisit our foundations as human animals and fuel our bodies in ways that are more in synch with the natural world. Sometimes in order to move forward, we have to be willing to look back. If you've learned this the hard way and have spent most of your life chasing one fad diet after another, I've got your number. But you need a game changer. It's time to stop what you are doing and listen to your body. I have spent years looking at all the medical literature and data that show that
a diet high in lean proteins and low in unhealthy carbohydratesâyes, there are healthy carbs: vegetables and fruitâwill keep us lean, healthy, and metabolically at our peak.
My Paleo Chic diet offers a three-way mirror that lets you look at the effect of how you nourish yourself from all angles. You'll look gorgeous from every angle, too.
Our speciesâor, more specifically, the human bodyâdid not evolve to run on “fuels” such as chips, candy, and prepackaged cakes and meals. We aren't equipped for highly processed foods that are loaded with bad fats, sugar, salt, and unpronounceable chemicals. In fact, our metabolic needs have changed little over the past ten thousand years, and our bodiesâreliable systems that they areâstill function best when they're fueled with whole, unprocessed foods. In other words, Paleolithic people would not have done well on a diet of McDonald's, either. Instead, our ancestors ate what was fresh and at hand: whether it was game, fruit, nuts, seeds, vegetables, or fish. We were hunters and gatherers, not fast-food chasers. Since there was no refrigeration way back then, our diets were primarily made up of fresh, nutrient-dense foods that were rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, and other crucial fuel generators.
I'm not saying that Paleolithic people were disease-free or lived longer than we do. (As a point of fact, the lifespan of Paleolithic people was pretty short, due to the “eat or be eaten” nature of human existence back then.) But we do know that Paleolithic people ate to liveâwhich is all our bodies really need us to do. If we can remember this, and if we can strip away all of the temptations we face from engineered foods in pretty packaging and eat in order to live as well as we possibly can, we'll approach food as medicine rather than as comfort, stress relief, drugs, or distractions, and we'll be oh-so-much better and better-looking for it.
In other words, the simpler the better. That's the core message and principle of the Paleo Chic diet.
The Paleo Chic plan helps you to reboot your metabolism in ways that will do your body and mind more good than you can imagine: losing weight and gaining health. It's all about learning to work withânot againstâyour body, to listen to its ancient, evolved wisdom. Instead, it's about giving that awesome body of yours exactly what it needs.
The Paleo Chic diet is designed to support and enhance your genetic potential, and the net benefit is an improvement in your overall health and well-being. I know how it rolls. Because I'm often in a cocktail state of mind, I've found that the Paleo Chic plan allows me to “live hard, play hard,” and because of it, I feel (and look) better than I ever have.
Let's be clear that I'm not perfect on it, and the truth is, I don't want to be. I know I can go out with my friends for Saturday-night drinks and dinner and wake up the next day and hit the ground running because the Paleo Chic plan has taught me how to strike a balance between the big picture and the moments of decadent fun that we all need. I can let loose from time to time, without any of the guilt and without losing my sense of well-being. It's a pretty gorgeous thing.
PALEO CHIC TERMS
Here's a handy list of Paleo words and terms used throughout the book:
Carbohydrates.
A component of foods that supplies energy (calories) to the body and has the greatest influence on your body's ability to burn fat. The three broad categories of carbohydrates are sugars (also called simple carbohydrates), starches (also called complex carbohydrates), and fiber. Except for fiber and
resistant starch, which resists digestion and acts like dietary fiber, carbohydrates cause a higher and faster rise in blood glucose (sugar)âthe body's chief source of fuelâthan proteins and fats do. Berries, apples, pears, spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, winter squash, rutabagas, parsnips, turnips, and jicamas are all carbs that won't tip the fat-burning scales.
Cavewoman.
Although the modern woman isn't really a cavewoman, she can certainly eat like one. This means that she can hunt and gather locally grown produce, livestock, poultry, fish, and eggs. It also means she steers clear of processed foods filled with chemicals, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and genetically modified organisms, or GMOs (explained on
page 51
). A cavewoman uses natural skin care and cleaning products, and lives as natural a life as she can under modern circumstances and the influence of technology and social norms.
Clean Eating.
Clean eating is a lifestyle choice. When someone decides to “eat clean” she eliminates all processed foods and additives from her diet. In other words, you are choosing to eat whole, unrefined foods that have not been altered in any way and are as close to their natural state as possible. Nowadays, this means eating foods with five or fewer ingredientsâall of which are pronounceable. Eating clean has many benefits, including weight loss, clear skin, improved energy, deep sleep, and a lean body composition.
Clean foods have many definitions in my home. The first is in its preparation. I wash all fruits and vegetables in a 3-to-1 solution of water to vinegar to remove pesticides from conventionally grown produce. I also wash under running water any foods wrapped in plastic, such as meat, poultry, and fish. I have my meats packaged in butcher paper whenever possible,
sans
plastic, and store food in glass containers with snap-on lids. Clean foods are minimally processed, meats are grass fed until they're taken to market, and fruits and vegetables are grown
locally and/or organicallyâin other words, foods that walked, flew, swam, or grew from the ground (or trees).
Fats.
Fats are both a major form of energy and a delicious addition to any food. Butter, heavy cream, olive and coconut oils, raw nuts and nut butters, and avocadoes all had me at hello. The right fats can combat PMS, migraines, coronary artery disease, diabetes, and obesity; hydrogenated oils like margarine that contain trans fats and poor-quality oils such as soybean, corn, canola, and cottonseed can make you inflamed, arthritic, obese, and depressed.
Hormones.
Hormones are biochemical messengers produced by the endocrine organs that control bodily functions such as growth, sexual development and reproduction, weight control, stress, and sleep. Cortisol, a stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands, can either build or break down muscle. Estrogen and progesterone regulate sexual development, menstrual cycles, and fertility; testosterone helps build lean muscle (yes, women's bodies do make some testosterone); and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) works in conjunction with the reproductive hormones to support fertility. Leptin and ghrelin regulate hunger and fullness. Growth hormone (GH) supports the production of lean muscle mass.
Metabolism.
Metabolism encompasses all the chemical processes that occur within the body to keep us functioning. How well we eat, how active we are, and how many toxins we're exposed to determine how well our metabolism runs.
Neocarb.
A neocarb is a carbohydrate introduced to the human diet within the last ten thousand years with the advent of modern agriculture. Think grains, legumes, and soy.
Paleocarb.
Paleocarbs are carbohydrates that have existed since the beginning of time. They include vegetables, nuts, seeds, and
fruits. These carbs are considered healthy because they contain antioxidants and fiber and are relatively low in sugar.
Protein.
Proteins make up our cells, skin, hair, nails, and every organ and tissue in our bodies. The dietary protein we eat helps rebuild and repair the proteins in our bodies. Paleo-friendly proteins include pastured meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and wild game. Although our bodies can make some amino acidsâorganic compounds that are essential to cell growth and maintenance and to all metabolic processesâthey also require that we eat protein from outside sources to get the rest.
The Nutritional Benefits of the Paleo Chic Diet
H
ere's a simple fact: unprocessed foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish alwaysâand I mean alwaysâcontain fewer calories than processed foods. Think about that for a moment. Actually, stop and think about what, exactly, a calorie is.
A calorie is a unit of energy. It's a way for us to get a sense of the energy value that is contained within each food. You would think, then, that a calorie would be a constant, set unit of measurementâand it isâbut, really, it's not. Huh? Bear with me here. A calorie from one food source doesn't always have the nutritional value of a calorie from another, less healthful food source. It's just a fact that some calories are better than others.
Do you think your body processes the 100 calories you find in say, a candy bar, the way it does the 100 calories you get from a salad made with organic produce or the 100 calories in a slice of roasted organic chicken? The answer is a resounding no: what comes along with those caloriesâthose units of energyâhas a great impact on how your body actually deals with those calories. That's why there's currently such an outcry about highly processed foods that are
marketed as “no fat” or “low fat.” These alleged diet foods are filled with sugars, salt, and unhealthy fat substitutes, yet because they're packaged in “low-calorie”
servings
, we're mislead to believe that they're somehow good for our bodies. Oh, if this were only true! But it's not.
One of the great upsides to the Paleo Chic diet is that you will be able to eat plenty of healthy calories and still lose weight. That's because these foods are rich in nutrient-dense calories, as opposed to empty calories. You'll be eating in order to ignite your metabolism, not to tamp it down. Becoming Paleo Chic means that eating wellâand abundantlyâis a good thing, because your gorgeous body will be fueled as well as satisfied.
In addition to emphasizing nutrient-dense calories, the Paleo Chic diet is designed to support, balance, and enhance the body's incredibly vital metabolic systems. Think of your metabolic system as a network of highly specialized channels of communication. (It's like the Wi-Fi your body runs on.) Give your metabolism the right informationâno spamâand the communication comes through clearly and effectively.
Since our bodies are governed by our metabolic systems, it makes sense that we would want to fill them with the best fuel possible. To do this, we need to understand what it is our bodies need.
Our bodies, as a rule, are designed to run on fewer carbohydrates than most of us are accustomed to eating. When you reduce the number of carbs you consume, your metabolism runs much more efficiently. You will likely see an immediate improvement in your moods, your energy levels, your sleep patterns, and your mental focus. Eating neocarbs is like putting sludgy, viscous fuel into a system that wants something clear and fluid. Also, neocarbs are highly corrosive to your metabolic components (think of them as
causing your system to rust), so those of us who want to be hot and active must avoid these fuels at all costs.
By lowering our carb intake, we encourage our bodies to burn stored sugars (glycogen) and this, in turn, encourages our bodies to let go of fat. When this happens, it's as if our communication channels open wide, and our vital organs can then perform their duties well. Suddenly we find ourselves feeling much, much better.
When you learn to eat the Paleo Chic way, you will find that it becomes nearly impossible to overeat. You will find that you're rarely or ever feeling hungry. Those cravings at ten in the morning or three in the afternoon will disappear. Filling up on healthy carbs (fresh fruits and veggies) will go a long way toward reducing your cravings for highly processed foods. And this is a big part of why the Paleo Chic plan is so healthful. The processed sweets that are aggressively marketed to us are major “trigger” foods that are actually engineered to elicit cravings in us. Mother Nature, thank our stars and garters, isn't a major corporation that puts profits over people, so by eating Paleo Chic, we not only nip those cravings but also get to keep some cold cash in our pockets. And that is a beautiful thing.
Optimal fat loss is a metabolic process by which your body breaks down fat in favor of building lean muscle. When your hormones are balanced, the body naturally engages in regular fat burning, which leads to appetite control and level states of mood and energy. When we eat solely to support our metabolism, we sleep well, awake refreshed, feel energized, and have better mental acuity. Carrying excess fat stymies our metabolic systems. The Paleo Chic diet “restarts” our metabolic circuitry so that our bodies can shed unwanted fat and function more optimally.
The best way to support the body's efforts to burn fat is through clean eating. What and when you eat will determine how well you burn fat, and understanding this basic principle is the foundation to all weight loss. I would even go so far as to say that your diet is responsible for 80 percent of weight loss (with exercise accounting for 20 percent). Every time one of my clients says, “I eat a healthy diet, but I am not losing weight. Why not?” I know that she is eating the wrong kinds of healthy foods. Not all healthy foods prompt the fat-burning command metabolically. When you're not fueling for fat burning and muscle building, it doesn't matter how much you exercise, you won't lose weight.
