How To Eat A Paleo Diet With Diabetes

Give me a P-A-LEO..what’s that spell? PALEEEOOO! 

A diet that I feel has somewhat fallen off the radar with the emergence of the keto diet, but nonetheless is still prevalent so I feel obligated to write about it. 

The Basics

So what is it really all about? Well it has been nicknamed the “Caveman Diet” because you are supposed to only eat foods that cavemen ate, but this really is a simplistic summarization of the diet. It includes meats, specifically animal proteins, healthy fats and oils, fruits, and veggies while you are to avoid processed grains, carbs, and sugar. And this isn’t just limiting carbs like the Atkins diet, this is avoiding carbs, grains, processed wheat and sugar at all costs. 

Because of limiting carbs and starchy foods this also requires that you limit potatoes, corn, and beans, as well as milk, butter, cheese, yogurt and ice cream. 

Created by Dr. Cordian of Colorado State, it was a diet aimed to avoid typical Westernized foods that are processed with many additives. The diet was formed over many years and is based on research and natural eating patterns. 

So what can I eat? 

The Good

Since carbs are being cut out, the Paleo diet can result in calorie restriction which does lead to weight loss. Remember from my very 1st post that a lot of these diets base their success on the amount of weight people lose while following this diet. For us as diabetics, losing weight decreases our insulin resistance and allows better use of insulin in our bodies. So while weight loss may not be our immediate goal, it can translate to better blood sugars. 

The diet does encourage fruits and veggies and is anti inflammatory, which is another plus. Aside from that, Paleo also limits processed food and I’m not talking about foods that NEED to be processed in order to be edible, I’m talking about chips and cookies and crackers—all these non essentials that have an abundance of ingredients we just don’t need. They taste great but once you start to cut them out and allow your taste buds to change, they actually aren’t that great. 

The Drawbacks

It limits a food group completely and any diet that does that is not the best. Our bodies work best on balanced meals without extreme restrictions. While it’s okay to watch your carbs and be cautious of the amount going on your plate, you don't want to remove them from your diet completely. 

It promotes high protein, which isn’t necessarily bad as that can suppress appetite, but if you opt for high fat animal protein like bacon, sausage, burgers or pork chops, you’re upping the amount of fat you’re eating which can lead to clogged arteries. If you remember, we already have enough excess sugar swimming around in our blood, we do not need anything more clogging it up. Plus nowadays most livestock is fed with corn or grain..hence the trend of grass fed beef. If you ever wondered why that trend caught on, well Paleo is part of it. That being said foods have changed so much since the time of the caveman. While the basic principles are the same it still leaves some grey area for the professionals to sort out. 

The diet promotes complete restriction of carbs and sugar—while these aren’t bad things, any time that we completely cut something out there is always the “after shock.” That feeling of craving a food incessantly until you get your fix. This usually leads to a binge, eating the food you were trying to avoid in the first place. You then feel defeated and no longer continue your diet and we’re back to square one. 

What am I getting at exactly?

Writing these blogs always reminds me of the basic principles I try to teach each patient/client that I work with. Sometimes we are overloaded with information, so these are some tips I want you to remember if you start to feel overwhelmed and are unsure what to do. 

1. Despite this entire blog, nutrition requires some critical thinking. For example, paleo can be healthful if lean meats and high intake of non starchy veggies are included. This is a great way to compromise the best of both worlds. SO if something doesn’t sound right, then trust your gut and trust the knowledge you have to make alterations to your diet as needed.

2. Diets work because of calorie restriction, not because of some magical food included or restricted from said diet. .

3. Diets work as long as you do. They actually aren’t diets, they are lifestyle changes. So rather than taking the approach of a quick fix diet, these are changes you are committing to for at least a brief period of time.

4. You don't have to commit to one diet forever, but eventually you will like one of these diets for long term and it’s up to you to stick with it.

5. I’m really good at NOT telling you which diet to pick. At this point I’m not sure if it’s clear which style of eating I follow but I promise you I do, and I’ve come to that decision based on trial and error. In all honesty I actually follow my own eating plan, a combination of a few diets which I have come to after only trying these strict diets. Despite having a background in nutrition, I too have struggled deciding what is best for me, but now I am able to say what works for me and I promise one day you will too. 

Stay strong and keep on trying.. Eating is fun so don’t let the fear of different diets hold you back, you got this and you will find your best fit. 

-Taylor Gann, PA-S, Type 1 Diabetic