Dieta Paleo

Dieta Paleo

Piramide alimentare paleolitica
La dieta paleolitica (paleodieta, dieta dell’età della pietra, dieta dei cacciatori-raccoglitori) è una dieta basata sull’eliminazione dei cereali, dello zucchero, dei latticini e di tutti gli altri alimenti elaborati o integrati artificialmente. Tutti questi dovrebbero essere sostituiti da carne, pesce, uova e verdure di alta qualità. Seguire uno stile di vita paleolitico non significa essere vegani o vegetariani. La dieta si basa sulla presunta antica dieta degli esseri umani durante il periodo paleolitico, un periodo storico di 2,5 milioni di anni che terminò 10.000 anni fa.

Ricerche e opinioni di scienziati

La dieta è ampiamente contestata e controversa. Per esempio, la British Dietetic Association ha elencato la paleodieta come una delle cinque peggiori diete popolari del 2015, affermando che una tale dieta è “un modo sicuro per sviluppare carenze nutrizionali.”

Uno studio degli scienziati di antropologia dell’Università dell’Arkansas afferma che le persone che vivevano durante il Paleolitico non avevano le malattie della civiltà perché l’aspettativa di vita era molte volte inferiore a quella degli esseri umani moderni e gli antichi non vivevano per sviluppare malattie croniche. [4] In un altro articolo pubblicato con il titolo “The paleolithic prescription: a program of diet & exercise and a design for living” gli scienziati conducono un’analisi dell’uomo moderno e antico, concludendo alla fine che un eccesso di calorie rispetto al dispendio energetico è alla base delle malattie dell’abbondanza, piuttosto che il consumo di certi alimenti. “Il problema di salute del mondo industrializzato sta nella facile disponibilità di cibo e nello squilibrio di energia consumata e sprecata.”

I seguaci della dieta paleolitica sostengono che la ragione per aderirvi è che il corpo umano, in particolare il sistema digestivo, si è adattato a questo particolare cibo. Si sostiene che il consumo di latticini e di altri alimenti che non erano disponibili prima dell’avvento dell’agricoltura sfida sia l’evoluzione che il corpo. Contrariamente alle conclusioni di molti scienziati, Loren Cordain, scienziato americano, professore, nutrizionista e fondatore della dieta, attribuisce tale modello alimentare ai seguenti fattori:

“Il genoma umano si è formato nell’era paleolitica e prima – di conseguenza, gli alimenti introdotti più tardi contraddicono la struttura genetica umana e il corretto sistema alimentare, con la conseguenza che portano a problemi di salute permanenti. I seguaci della dieta paleolitica sostengono che la ragione per cui dovremmo attenerci ad essa è che il nostro corpo, in particolare il nostro sistema digestivo, si è adattato a questo particolare cibo.

Si sostiene che mangiare latticini e altri alimenti che non erano disponibili prima dell’avvento dell’agricoltura sfida sia l’evoluzione che il nostro corpo. Uno studio polacco del 2012 ha stimato che il 70% dell’energia di cui abbiamo bisogno quotidianamente proviene da alimenti che gli esseri umani primitivi mangiavano molto raramente o per niente: latticini, cereali, zucchero raffinato e grassi lavorati”.

Marlene Zook, biologa evolutiva dell’Università del Minnesota negli Stati Uniti e autrice di Paleofantasy, dice che poiché i diversi geni cambiano a tassi diversi, non c’è motivo di credere che gli esseri umani moderni siano geneticamente identici alle persone che vivevano nel Pleistocene. Non è così che funziona l’evoluzione – non si ferma creando l'”uomo perfetto”. Gli esseri umani non hanno mai smesso di evolversi.

Come spiega Zook, “Alcuni dei geni che avevamo nel Pleistocene sono gli stessi che abbiamo ereditato da creature viventi il cui habitat era l’oceano. Tuttavia, nessuno sta suggerendo di mangiare come fanno gli animali che si bioalimentano”.

Sembra dagli studi sulla dieta paleo che le persone tendano a perdere peso più velocemente con questa dieta, ma la maggior parte di questi studi copre un breve periodo di tempo, chiedendo ai partecipanti di attenersi alla dieta per tre settimane o giù di lì, e non ci sono molti soggetti stessi.

Cibi raccomandati

Carne

Carne biologica di animali allevati in condizioni naturali: manzo, agnello, selvaggina. Per esempio la carne di bisonte o di renna, così come il fegato, i reni ecc., ma solo acquistati da fornitori affidabili come i mercati contadini, dove i prodotti sono venduti dagli stessi produttori (tagli selezionati di carne con le ossa). Più alto è il prezzo di tale carne, meglio è. Il rapporto tra i grassi omega-6 e i grassi omega-3 nella carne biologica è migliore che negli animali nutriti con concentrati di grano delle fattorie. Inoltre, è molto meno probabile che gli animali allevati in modo naturale abbiano ricevuto supplementi di ormoni della crescita o antibiotici.

La dieta paleo accoglie carni magre e proteine:

The paleo diet welcomes lean meats and proteins:

• Lean beef: steak, lean cutlets, grilled and steamed.
• Lean pork: sirloin, chops and various lean cuts
• Hare, goat meat, pheasant, venison, wild boar, horse meat.
• Poultry meat

This meat must be derived from chickens, ducks and turkeys raised under natural conditions.

Eggs

Preferably, they should come from poultry raised under natural conditions.

Fish and seafood

Various types of fish raised in a natural environment, such as salmon, sardines, cod, mackerel, trout, as well as oysters, mussels, etc. As for artificially bred fish, they contain fewer nutrients.

Vegetables

Naturally grown vegetables such as cabbage, asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, carrots, celery, cucumbers, garlic, spinach, mushrooms, onions, turnips and watercress.

Nuts

These include almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, etc. However, remember that peanuts are a legume and not a nut, so they should not be eaten.

Fruits and berries

Avocados, apples, olives, apricots, coconuts, dates, citrus fruits, peaches, pears, grapes, melon, berries etc.

Oil for sauces

Cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil.

Cooking oil

Coconut oil, first cold pressed, avocado oil.

Spices and seasonings

Various herbs and spices (coriander, thyme, paprika, garlic, onions, etc.), but WITHOUT SALT.

Juices

Mostly water. It can be considered the most important of all nutrients because it makes up a large part of the body. In addition, water is necessary for the absorption of all nutrients and processes in the body. Green tea, herbal teas without sugar, such as peppermint, chamomile and others – but not fruit teas – can also be considered as suitable drinks. Coconut water, a natural isotonic drink, can also be considered a good drink.

Foods to avoid

Eliminating the following foods from your diet will have a positive impact on your health.

Sugar

Be aware that sugar is added to a number of foods (such as fructose, glucose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, sorbitol, xylitol), candies, sweets and various artificial additives.

Grain products

Wholemeal and refined wheat products (bread, biscuits, cakes, pastry, macaroni), rye, maize, oats and all other types of cereals (including millet, rice, buckwheat, etc) and granola.

Dairy products

All dairy products, including butter, cheese, cream, whey, cottage cheese, yoghurt, etc

Pulses

Beans, pulses (including soya beans and peanuts), etc.

Potatoes and cassava

Condiments

Salt, vinegar, yeast.

Drinks

Black tea, coffee, all alcoholic beverages, all carbonated beverages, all sweetened beverages (with both natural and all other types of sweeteners), diet non-caloric or low-caloric drinks, fruit and vegetable juices (non-fibre, indicating high sugar content).

All processed foods

All packaged ready-to-eat meals, as these contain cereal and dairy ingredients in one form or another, as well as a variety of additives.

Semi-cooked food

All processed and semi-finished products should be avoided.

Dried fruits

These should be avoided completely or only in very small quantities, as they can contain a lot of sugar. For example, fresh mango fruit contains 15 per cent sugar, whereas dried fruit contains 74 per cent, which is about as much as candy.

Soy, soya milk and any soya-based products

There are a number of clinical studies linking soy products with thyroid dysfunction, digestive issues, reproductive system disorders and cancer.

Industrial trans fats

Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are often found in baked goods and fried foods.

Vegetable oils and spreads

These include sunflower oil, vegetable oil, margarine etc.

Cocktails

All smoothies are rich in vitamins and minerals, but they can have a rather strong negative impact on blood sugar levels. They contain considerably less fibre than natural fruit and vegetables. A smoothie can contain even more sugar than a carbonated drink!

Snacks

Any kind of cereal or protein-rich snack offered as a replacement for a regular breakfast or afternoon snack.

Why shouldn’t we eat foods that are not part of the Paleolithic diet?

Nature has given all animals – animals and plants alike – a set of defences against predators, although not everything is as easy to see as we think. Not all plants have thorns, but that does not mean they are completely defenceless. Plants may have other defence mechanisms, such as chemical defences.

This is the case with cereals, legumes and even plants such as tomatoes. They all contain chemicals that are supposed to protect them from being eaten or to ensure that the grains remain intact as they pass through the digestive tract. The point is to “keep” the nutrients it contains from being eaten by someone who has eaten such a plant. Some of these proteins are destroyed by heat during cooking, germination or fermentation, while others do not succumb even to these processes and are still not digested, causing irritation and inflammation in the gut.

These defence mechanisms can activate immediately, causing an allergic reaction, intolerance or neurointoxication, or have a gradual effect, leading to problems with the immune system and inflammation, which can cause serious illness. It can be said that these protective substances perform the opposite function to that of nutrients.

It is not the purpose of this book to go into detail about these anti-nutrients, but a cursory knowledge of the field can help you understand why you should not eat certain foods. Now let’s take a look at some of our biggest enemies.

Gluten

Grain proteins are known for lowering immunity, damaging the gastrointestinal tract and causing increased intestinal permeability. Most gluten is found in wheat grains, but it is also found in spelt, barley, rye and oats. This substance blocks the absorption of vitamins and destroys intestinal flora, leading to the risk of yeast and bacterial infections. Cereals and legumes are typically soaked overnight to reduce phytate levels (substances that inhibit mineral absorption and slow down enzymatic reactions), thereby reducing the risk of the aforementioned problems.

Soaking also helps prepare food for the digestion process – to reduce the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. But why go to such lengths to try to boost the nutritional quality of these not-so-good sources of carbohydrates? It’s better not to eat them and to replace them with much healthier foods like natural fruits and vegetables.

Lectins

These are proteins found in plants such as grains, seeds, legumes and nightshades (like tomatoes and potatoes). Their function is to protect the seeds. Lectins tend to linger in the intestines, where they act as saboteurs, penetrating to the very heart of our immune system. This can lead to increased intestinal permeability and other immune system problems, as well as insulin resistance. Research shows that most lectins are harmless, but a certain group of lectins found in cereals, legumes and nightshade plants are harmful to humans.

Phytates

Found in legumes such as beans and peas. Phytates bind minerals in food such as zinc, iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium, preventing them from being absorbed and even eliminating them from the body, which can lead to deficiencies of these minerals in the body.

Saponins

These toxins are often found in potatoes and other nightshade family vegetables. They bind cholesterol molecules in intestinal cell membranes, leading to increased intestinal permeability. They also activate the production of inflammatory cytokines that cause insulin resistance.

Protease inhibitors

Found in soybeans and other legumes. They inhibit the activity of protein enzymes, thus preventing proteins from being broken down into amino acids. Thus, they have a negative impact on protein digestion.

Artificial sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are low- or no-calorie sugar substitutes used in the food industry. Some sweeteners, like sucralose, although hard to believe, are 600 times sweeter than sugar. They are categorised as excitotoxins, substances that stimulate areas of the brain that produce a desire to consume the product again and again. They include aspartame, sucralose, saccharin and acesulfame K. A significant number of studies have found negative side effects of artificial sweeteners, such as high blood pressure, carcinogenic material accumulation and congenital genetic defects in children.