Read The Paleo Diet Cookbook: More than 150 recipes for Paleo Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Snacks, and Beverages Online

Authors: Loren Cordain

The Paleo Diet Cookbook: More than 150 recipes for Paleo Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Snacks, and Beverages (7 page)

BOOK: The Paleo Diet Cookbook: More than 150 recipes for Paleo Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Snacks, and Beverages
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Some astonishing developments have occurred in the past five years, particularly from Dr. Alessio Fasano at the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, that have helped to unravel the mysteries underlying autoimmune diseases. Work from Dr. Fasano’s group, as well as from other scientists worldwide, shows that a “leaky gut,” or increased intestinal permeability, plays a crucial initial step in triggering some, if not all, autoimmune diseases.
 

 

THE MOST COMMON AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES
 
 
 
Disease
Tissue or Organ Affected
Prevalence
Alopecia areata
Hair follicle
170 per 100,000
Ankylosing spondylitis
Spine and sacroiliac joints
129 per 100,000
Autoimmune uticaria
Skin
330 per 100,000
Celiac disease
Small intestine
400 per 100,000
Crohn’s disease
Gastrointestinal tract
184 per 100,000
Diabetes, type 1
Pancreas
120 per 100,000
Graves’ disease
Thyroid gland
1,120 per 100,000
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
Thyroid gland
9,460 per 100,000
Lupus erythematosus
Any tissue in the body
510 per 100,000
Multiple sclerosis
Brain, nerves
140 per 100,000
Psoriasis
Skin
2,020 per 100,000
Rheumatoid arthritis
Joints
920 per 100,000
Scleroderma
Skin, other organs
110 per 100,000
Ulcerative colitis
Colon
35-100 per 100,000
Uveitis
Anterior eye
850 per 100,000
Vitiligo
Skin
740 per 100,000
 
 
 
 
Amazingly, wheat—consumed by almost every person on the planet—has been found to be one of the primary culprits underlying leaky gut, not just in autoimmune patients, but also in healthy people. Wheat contains a protein called gliadin, which interacts with gut receptors to set off a cascade of hormonal events ultimately allowing the intestinal contents (food and bacteria) to interact with the immune system. Withdrawal of wheat from celiac patients completely cures disease symptoms, and scientific evidence increasingly shows that this strategy may work for other autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes, if it is caught early.
 
Dr. Fasano’s finding doesn’t really affect Paleo Dieters, because all grains, including wheat, have never been part of the menu. However, since the discovery that a leaky gut most likely represents a necessary first step in the development of autoimmunity, it has become clear to me and my scientific colleagues that any dietary element capable of increasing intestinal permeability should also be suspect in autoimmune diseases. As we pored over the scientific literature, we discovered the following list of foods and substances, in addition to gliadin in wheat, that promote a leaky gut:
• Alcohol
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen
• Oral contraceptives
• Antacids containing aluminum hydroxide (alum)
• Capsaicin-containing chili peppers
• Certain saponin- or glycoalkaloid-containing foods
• Certain lectin-containing foods
 
At first glance, this list doesn’t seem to be very impressive, as you may not recognize all the common foods that contain lectins, saponins, and glycoalkaloids. So let me be a little more up-front and point out these problematic foods.
 
Let’s start with lectins. Almost all grains and legumes contain lectins, most of which increase intestinal permeability. Because the Paleo Diet has always been a grain-free and legume-free diet, there really is nothing new here, except that now we are beginning to understand why the Paleo Diet has such potent therapeutic and curative powers for autoimmune patients: it is virtually free of the lectins known to increase intestinal permeability.
 
The most recent twist to the Paleo Diet and autoimmune diseases involves saponins, toxic compounds found in many plants that ward off microbial and insect attacks. Unfortunately, saponins are bad news not only for insects and microbes, which try to eat them, but also for humans. If we eat saponins in large enough amounts, they can become lethally toxic. Even at low doses they may cause a leaky gut. Beans (legumes) and soy products are concentrated sources of gut-permeating saponins. Once again, this is why the Paleo Diet is such good medicine for autoimmune patients, as these foods have never been part of the Paleo Diet.
 
When I wrote
The Paleo Diet
eight years ago, I advised you not to eat potatoes, mainly because of their high glycemic load, which adversely affects blood sugar and insulin levels. It turns out that this recommendation is also good advice for people with autoimmune diseases. I now know that potatoes contain two specific saponins called glycoalkaloids (alpha solanine and alpha chaconine), which increase intestinal permeability. Eliminating potatoes from your diet not only prevents blood glucose and insulin surges but also helps to prevent a leaky gut and autoimmune diseases.
 
Paleo Diets are good therapy for people with autoimmune diseases because they are devoid of lectin-containing grains, lectin- and saponin-containing legumes, and saponin- and lectin-containing potatoes. Do your gut a favor and kick these foods out of your diet. While you are at it, make sure you also avoid milk and dairy products, per my original recommendations in
The Paleo Diet.
Epidemiological (population) studies have frequently implicated milk and dairy foods in numerous autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, experimental studies have demonstrated that certain cow milk proteins can actually cause the animal equivalent of multiple sclerosis in rats. Because the Paleo Diet is devoid of dairy, grains, legumes, and potatoes, it’s no wonder it’s such good medicine for people with autoimmune diseases.
 
Besides contributing to a leaky gut, certain dietary saponins agitate the immune system in a manner that makes it much more likely to cause autoimmune diseases. Saponins have long been used by immunologists to boost the effectiveness of vaccines in revving up the immune system. So the bottom line is, if you have an autoimmune disease, you should avoid saponins.
 
In addition to legumes and potatoes, other commonly consumed foods containing saponins that may contribute to a leaky gut include green tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, quinoa, amaranth, and soft drinks containing the additive quillaja. A final note of caution for autoimmune patients: avoid hot chili peppers, hot sauces, and salsas. These foods contain high concentrations of capsaicin, another food element that increases intestinal permeability.
 
2
 
Paleo Kitchen Guidelines
 
Whether you are new to cooking
or a seasoned chef, learning to create Paleo dishes will take some adjustments to your thinking, as you incorporate brand-new food preparation techniques and concepts into Paleo healthy eating. In this chapter, we make it easy for you to quickly set up your kitchen, acquire the important tools, and clean out and restock your fridge and pantry so that you may begin to discover the amazing and rewarding health benefits awaiting you on this lifetime journey into Paleo living.
 
When first introduced to the Paleo Diet concept, many newbies often begin by wondering whether they will miss some of the foods that are not on the Paleo menu. The best advice we can give is for you to focus on the incredible wealth of delicious and vitamin-, nutrient- and protein-packed real foods the Paleo Diet has to offer. You will not be deprived or hungry. Soon your taste buds will reawaken to the subtle tastes and textures of soothing fruits, crisp vegetables, succulent lean meats, and savory seafood.
 
Use your imagination and creativity to make your ancestral diet work for you. Explore the endless possibilities real food has to offer, as you replace your old, unhealthy, processed foods with exciting, new, good-for-you Paleo cuisine. We’re sure that like most Paleo Dieters, you will soon lose your cravings for artificially salty, sugary, synthetic, processed foods and quickly develop a preference for the foods you were genetically designed to eat. Let’s get started.
 
Cleaning Out the Kitchen
 
The kitchen should be your starting point as you transition into a Paleo lifestyle. Rest assured, if it comes in a plastic bag, a box, a can, or a bottle, it’s probably not Paleo-friendly; however, there are a few key exceptions, which we will get to later.
 
Any food, even non-Paleo foods that you have purchased with your hard-earned cash, can be difficult to part with. However psychologically difficult it may be, it is still better not to tempt yourself by finishing up the last half gallon of ice cream in your refrigerator or the final bag of chips in your pantry. Get rid of them—put them out of sight and out of mind. We are not asking you to waste this food entirely but rather to jettison it from your life. Think about your purging of old foods as the first step on a journey to improved health, athletic performance, and vigor; better sleep; and a longer life, free of medications.
 
What to Toss from the Pantry
 
Let’s start with the pantry (and/or kitchen cabinets), since this is where most people store huge supplies of non-Paleo food. If your pantry is similar to most others, you’ve got a lot of cleaning out to do. We suggest that you get some large cardboard boxes, fill them up with the discarded foods, and donate these items to your local food bank or charity. These organizations will gladly accept any and all unopened packages, cans, or bottles, and you can even get a tax write-off for your generosity. However, partly used foods or opened containers must either be thrown out or given to friends or neighbors.
 
A good starting point is foods that contain wheat, sugar, or salt. If the food item in question contains any of these ingredients, it immediately goes into your donation box. This initial step will probably eliminate about 75 percent of the articles in your pantry.
 
The next items up for clearance are grains or any processed foods made with grains. Out goes your box of instant rice; out go the so-called healthy brown or basmati rice, wild rice, and rice cakes. Out go corn meal, cornflakes, corn chips, and taco shells. Don’t forget rye, barley, and oats. That big box of oatmeal should be ditched, along with your rye crisp crackers and granola bars. Other taboo grains or grainlike foods include millet, bulghur, couscous, quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat. Potatoes—in any way, shape, or form—must exit your pantry. This means potato chips, Pringles, dehydrated mashed potatoes, shoestring potatoes, and any other potato-containing product.
 
The easy discards are cookies, crackers, chips, candies, and salty canned foods. But how about your canned tuna, salmon, and sardines? These are expensive, high-protein foods that are rich in the healthy omega 3 fatty acids. What should you do with them? Our suggestion is to keep these for later use in salads, omelets, or other dishes. Canned tuna and salmon are usually packed in salt water, so place them in a colander and rinse thoroughly to remove the salt.
 
Unfortunately, canned fish and seafood also contain high amounts of oxidized cholesterol, a substance that promotes artery clogging and heart disease. Consequently, fresh or frozen fish is almost always a better choice. The lackluster, leached-out, salty flavor of canned tuna can’t hold a candle to the savory, pungent overtones of broiled fresh yellowfin or blue tuna—and tuna steaks are also more nutritious for you than canned tuna. Let your new Paleo palate become your guide to unadulterated, fresh foods, as Mother Nature always intended.
 
Other items that should be thrown out of your pantry are commercial salad dressings, mustard, ketchup, salsa, pickles, barbecue sauce, and tomato sauce, because of their high salt, sugar, and omega 6 fatty acid content. Almost all vegetable, salad, and cooking oils, except those we recommended in chapter 1, should also be relegated to the discard box.
 
How about coconut oil? Coconut oil, meat, and milk are traditional foods of tropical islanders living close to the world’s oceans and seas. These foods are concentrated sources of lauric acid, a saturated fat that elevates blood cholesterol levels and increases the risk for cardiovascular disease in Western populations. Strangely enough, traditional cultures that consume coconut foods have little or no heart disease, stroke, or other cardiovascular problems normally associated with eating saturated fats (such as the lauric acid found in coconuts).
BOOK: The Paleo Diet Cookbook: More than 150 recipes for Paleo Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Snacks, and Beverages
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