How Paleo Is This Food and That?

The other day after a workout, I had a quick chat with another athlete about, guess what?  How to be a Paleo Endurance Athlete!  (One of my favourite topics…)

She was surprised to hear that I actually cook some of my food!

Wow!

Understandable, though, if one hasn't read The Paleo Diet Book(s), that the mere name could theoretically conjure up images of eating EXACTLY what paleolithic man ate, in its natural state. 

And, certainly, there are many of us Paleo enthusiasts who do just that.

The question arises, then, about how Paleo a food may be, if it's technically Paleo, but not really, really Paleo…

For example, kale chips.  You can make them paleo at home, by skipping the salt and soy-based flavors I've seen in some of the brands in the shoppes, but the idea of 'needing something crispy to snack on while watching TV', does make me think a bit…

When I was vegan (yes, you read this correctly, I was vegan for 2 years about a decade ago, and ate more than my fair share of soy, TVP (can you say 'pure gluten') and beans), I always found the idea of all the 'fake meat products' odd.

Similarly, when we follow The Paleo Diet, the idea is to replicate how our ancestors ate, and to feed and nourish ourselves with real food.  

So, to address the scenario above, of 'needing that crunchy TV watching snack':

• Please don't even get me started about how there are thousands of better ways to spend your time than watching TV every day; the average American watches 5.1 hours(!!!) according to Nielsen, yet many claim to 'not have time to exercise'!
• One should eat when they are hungry, and not when they need something to do.
• Eating while watching TV, or doing anything other than enjoying the meal serves to make the experience far less enjoyable.

Eating something that is 'pretty much Paleo', like the Kale Chips is, indeed, a better choice than mac and cheese from a box, but do try and balance it out with some of the fresh stuff, too!

We are living in 2011, and not in a bubble, so I do encourage to be the best you can at being Modern Paleo, 100%!

'Nuff said…