Kendra Power

Ms. Tori Hamby

UWRT 1101 - Section 19
September 10th, 2014
The Modern Caveman
For thousands of years, humans survived by eating whatever food they could find.
In todays world the are many new fads for diets, healthier lifestyles, personal wellness
and fitness. Only one of these trends combines all of these characteristics into one
template, and in 2013 it was the worlds most popular diet. The Paleolithic diet. Paleo is a
way of adapting an eating lifestyle of the past to today. The Paleo Diet should be viewed
as more of a template for healthier lifestyle and eating habits than as a diet. Paleo is a
concept for optimal health and bringing humans back to whole, natural, non-processed
foods. Though there are different interpretations for Paleo, the purpose has always
remained the same. A healthier you.
Methodology
Most of my research came from qualitative methods. I studied blogs, books of
mine, and interviewed an expert on the discourse. I was also able to do overt research on
participants and non-participants. I wanted to know if there was an actual change in
someone that ate Paleo and someone that did not. When observing, I was able to see the
differences between food choices in participates and non-participates of Paleo I was able
to conduct an interview with a participant and gather information on her thoughts and
knowledge of Paleo. Those who werent Paleo consumed more simple carbs, sugars, and
bad fats as compared to those who were Paleo. There is also a direct correlation to the

foods consumed and the feeling of fullness when comparing subjects. I chose to observe
subjects rather than just question them because there is physical evidence of the outcome.
In my texts research, subjects reported Paleo reduced everything from blood sugar to
their blood pressure. Whether its the subtraction of processed foods, addition of natural
foods, or a combination of both, there was a physical change in those that ate Paleo.
Finding an interview subject proved to be a challenge for me. Considering I am a fan of
PaleOmg I saw opportunity in including Juli into my research. Interviewing Juli would've
meant a flight to Denver and back. I decided to contact Juli through her email
administrator, Stacy Struss in late September. Stacy asked me to send over the questions
I had for Juli and relayed her responses.
Analysis
Paleo is structured on a simple lifestyle. Although Paleoers can adapt the template
to their own liking, Paleo has set rules. The diet gets its name from the Paleolithic Era
where people were hunter/gatherers and hadn't yet begun agricultural practices. Paleo is
constructed of meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, tree nuts, etc. It does not
include foods developed during the agricultural period such as wheat, barley,
beans/legumes, sugar, grains, potatoes and dairy. As nomads, a person would have
adapted to whatever foods were readily available. Main nutrition can be from fruits and
vegetables, meats, or a combination of both.
Since those in the Paleolithic Era wouldn't have access to high tech engineered oils that
are available today, oils should be limited to those from fruit or tree nuts. Variety is
encouraged since ancestors would have had to eat whatever the hunt gave them. Although
a variety of herbs and spices are encouraged, salt is not. There was no salt in that Era and

once eliminated from your diet, salt tolerance will decrease significantly. Sweeteners
were also not apart of the Eras diet. Raw honey or maple syrup is considered to be Paleo
as well as coconut palm sugar. The only truly beverage that can be considered Paleo
would be water. The belief that alcohol is Paleo is highly controversial. Alcohol can be
made from fermented fruits, which our ancestors could have encountered. Ancestors
could have also encountered in cannabis leaves, which would be considered Paleo. Since
the food supply will be nutrient dense there is no need for nutrient supplementation.
Modern day technology has enabled researchers to see the harmful effects of the
Neolithic Era produce. Grains, beans, and potatoes (GBP) all share common
characteristics: they are toxic when raw, rich in carbohydrates, lack nutrients, and lead to
and increase in glycemic index. Even though in raw state these foods are toxic, cooking
can reduce their harmful effects. These toxins include enzyme blockers and lectins. When
not cooked fully these toxins still remain and can cause acute gastroenteritis. In addition
to being toxic to our bodies, these foods are high in carbs making our bodies rapidly
digest the macronutrient and cause and sugar spike. Simply put they are empty calories.
Because our modern day food pyramid relies heavy on milk, breads, and pasta many
people think these foods are necessary to thrive and live a healthy lifestyle.
Today Paleo has two main groups of followers: athletic performers and those who
wish to avoid modern diseases. In addition to adopt into the Crossfit community, the diet
is popular among many training athletes. Paleo has potential to bring athletes to their full
performance potential. Paleo has also attracted those in the medical profession such as
experts Dr. Chris Kressner and nutritional clinician Kellyann Petrucci. Kressner is one of
the most outspoken followers in the Paleo community. Kressner practices integrative and

functional medicine in Berkley, CA. He is the author of Your Personal Paleo Code
which details a guide to the lifestyle. Kressner credits the diet with restoring his physical
health after being burdened with painful digestive diseases for many years. Today he
claims he is Blessed with excellent health, a loving family, and a flourishing practice.
Nutritionist Kellyann Petrucci claims by following the Paleo template she could feel
immense changes into her body even down to the cellular level. She claims she is now in
a healthier version of herself than ever before.
Perhaps one of the most popular ways Paleo members communicate is through blog
sites. Blogging is perhaps the one of the most important genres in Paleo. It is the most
time efficient and cost effective way to relate ideas to one another. The Internet is littered
with Paleo blog sites. Some of the most popular are Civilized Caveman by George
Bryant, PaleOmg by Juli Bauer, and Nom Nom Paleo by Michelle Tam. These sites
inform readers of what Paleo is and give them recipes to adapt easier to the lifestyle.
They also all give personal testimonies of how Paleo has changed their life for the better
and encourage readers to adapt the same template. As stated earlier, Paleo is a template,
designed for the person to adapt to his or her liking. Most of these bloggers will tell
readers that they are 80/20. This means 80 percent of their diet deriving from
Paleolithic food groups and 20 percent for leeway. On met blog sites, readers will find a
section called treats or cheats. These cheats are all derived from Paleo foods but as we
are all aware, there were not ovens, sweeteners, mixers, etc. 10,000 years ago. It is
perfectly okay to reward oneself from time to time to reduce the risk of relapse.
As a member of the Paleo world I have observed a variety of adaptations to the diet.
But most, including myself, dont consider Paleo to be a diet. The word diet is highly

controversial in this discourse. When using the term diet it refers to one restricting
themselves of particular foods to lose weight. While you may lose weight, that is not the
objective of Paleo. When one is considered Paleo, they change your lifestyle to one that
promotes optimal health. It is not something participants do for a few months to cut
weight or detox for a short period of time. One of my favorite bloggers in the Paleo
community is Juli Bauer. Bauer, as I mentioned earlier, runs the site PaleOmg. Juli also
co-wrote the Paleo cookbook The Paleo Kitchen with Civilized Cavemans, George
Bryant, who was also mentioned earlier. Cookbooks are a genres in this discourse
because it is a broad way of providing new ideas and information to one another. In our
email, Juli first informed me that she started eating Paleo around 2010/2011. She began
competing in CrossFit competitions and wanted to improve her skills. Since Paleo is
highly recommended by the CrossFit community and her peers she decided to give it a
try. Juli then describes the challenge of interacting with Paleo members on a daily basis
and says she first began talking to other members via Facebook after talking with each
other on bog sites. After meeting each other at different Paleo events, Juli found herself
traveling to where the other member lived to hang out with them. She also shares with us
that these member are now some of her greatest friends. During our interview Juli
happened to in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania working with friends who are also member of the
Paleo community. Some of her more personal challenges were figuring out how to run a
blog with little to no web experience. Even after years of running her blog site, Juli says
she still is learning new thing about her blog and the web. As for a typical Paleo meal,
Juli keeps it simple with meat, veggies, and fats. Sometimes even adding in more starchy
foods like sweet potatoes and plantains. Like most people, Juli began Paleo with a close-

minded attitude. At the time she considered it to be highly restrictive and unrealistic.
Once she began, her stance quickly changed. She began noticing positive changes in her
physical health without the daily dose of processed food. Cravings for unhealthy foods
vanished once her system adapted to her new lifestyle. Juli expresses that even though
challenging in the beginning, it was completely worth it because her health and well
being were on the line.
An additional challenge to becoming Paleo is eating out. Juli tells me she first
overcomes this challenge by staying away from fast food and other poor quality
restaurants. That is the most important part. When she dos eat out, she stays away from
foods that are highly processed. Sticking to simplicities like a burger with no bun with
vegetables or sweet potatoes on the side keeps it Paleo while still enjoying a restaurant
atmosphere. Living in Denver has aided Julis Paleo lifestyle because of the variety of
Paleo and gluten free choices the city has to offer. Since Juli has created so many
delicious, Paleo recipes I was curious if she was able identify with one as her favorite.
Since her favorite happens to be apart of her new project, it had to be kept a secret but she
does hint that it includes lamb. Everyone has his or her different reasons for preferring
Paleo. When I asked Juli for her reasons, she claims the most appealing matter was how
Paleo made her feel. She says she has never been healthier, had more energy, or been
happier. It is truly an amazing impact food has upon our bodies. As stated earlier, Juli not
only has a blog, but several cookbooks that have all been successful. Her latest, The
Paleo Kitchen, co-written with George Bryant, came about because both authors believed
two heads to be better than one when creating recipes. Recipes are another important
genres in this discourse. Instead of just relaying information, experts can transfer their

ideas. Bauer states the most prevalent challenge in her latest project was writing it with
someone else. She compares co-writing to a college group project, saying that everyone
has different ideas, views and opinions but noting everyone had to agree upon one in the
end. Agreement meant sacrifices for both Juli and George. In last question for Juli, I
asked what would she say to someone outside the Paleo community to persuade them to
join her. Her answer was simple. She wouldn't try to persuade them. She has faced the
brunt of persuasion, which initially detoured her away from Paleo. She says all she can
do is give people knowledge, explain to them why you love it then hope for the best. She
cant persuade people into becoming healthy or changing their life. It is a decision they
must make.
Through my research and interview process I came to realize I completely agree
with everything Juli says about her Paleo experience. She stated that you cant persuade
someone to become healthy or change their life. Its a decision they must make. Ive
observed in my research the Paleo does in fact affect physical and mental well-being.
Goals of this community are to make our bodies a healthier place. Being healthier inside
directly affects the outside presentation. Healthier food choices have been known to
improve appearance, decrease diseases, and increase lifespan. It makes majority of
people feel happier and energized. This is likely the reason why the CrossFit community
and many others have adopted Paleo. CrossFit members push their bodies to extremes
and need a solid fuel base to keep up with physical needs. Food has a tremendous impact
upon our bodies.
Conclusion
Every text, member, observation, or article on Paleo seem to all prove the same

thing. Paleo was created for optimal health and it works. It is always focused on one
thing; A healthier you. My research and interview have seemed to prove that with various
accounts on the positive effects of Paleo. One is are what they eat and food is meant to be
fuel. Our means of surviving. No one puts dirt in their gas tank and expects the car to run.
The same principle applies with our bodies. Paleo gives out what one puts into it. Eat
right and there will be rewards. Like Juli says, no one can change you, but you.

Works Cited
Sachs, Andrea. "The Paleo Diet Craze: What's Right and Wrong About Eating Like
a Caveman." Time. Time, n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.
"The Paleo Diet - Live Well, Live Longer." The Paleo Diet. N.p., n.d. Web. 14
Oct. 2014.
Bauer, Juli. "PaleOMG Paleo Recipes." PaleOMG Paleo Recipes RSS. N.p., n.d.
Web. 14 Oct. 2014.
Wiss, Don. "The Paleolithic/Paleo/Caveman/Primal Diet Defined." The
Paleolithic/Paleo/Caveman/Primal Diet Defined. N.p., 2010. Web. 14 Oct. 2014.