I was just curious if any of you have heard about Paleo. If so, what are your thoughts?
I've actually attempted the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) version of Paleo, which is a bit more restrictive. It's pretty much like Paleo in that you avoid soy, dairy, legumes, refined and processed sugars and oils and grains (indefinitely). However, its taken a step further since you also avoid eggs, nuts/seeds and nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and goji berries). In other words, AIP is no different from an Elimination Diet where you remove potential trigger foods for some time and reintroduce them one-by-one to see if you experience a reaction.
Under AIP I just consumed vegetables and fruits (preferably organic), meat products (preferably free range/organic/halaal) <-- I found a place in Toronto that meets that criteria. I also consume healthy fats/oils (which are preferably organic coconut, avocado, olive and palm oil).
I personally, don't miss the SSA - Standard Somali Diet of Bariis and Baasto. In fact, none of these staples really belong to us. And geeljire traditionally didn't eat them. Then again, they weren't avid consumers of vegetables either.
The only downside is that this diet is somewhat costly for someone that's a student or not working. It does require a bit of preparation time, and you don't have luxury of eating out (unless plain salads with no dressing, fruit, and tea are your idea of eating out). On the upside my cooking is better.
If you are highly committed and driven I strongly recommend it. I was able to actually improve my health. It's kind of funny because often times people assume you are undertaking some personal health intervention for vanity (i.e. to lose weight or build muscle/get toned). And that couldn't be further from the truth, in fact my parents were actually worried I would lose weight and wither away from these changes. Alhamduilah I'm still here, so it didn't happen.
