Let’s Look At The Big Picture Here

Wow.  There has been a lot of twitter traffic over the last 24 +/- hours regarding the recent Dr. Oz Show where Chris Kresser and I had the opportunity to be guests this past Monday.

Without getting into too much detail, there are clearly some who vehemently oppose what was presented as well as those who support it.

My take is this:

The approaches to eating that were presented are much healthier than that which many people follow as well as what the current MyPlate recommendations are.

Here’s what Chris and I presented, which we have in common : Eating lots of fresh veggies,  good proteins and good fat sources (on the ‘fat’ topic- please note that these fats he presented- olive oil, avocado and coconut oil- are identical to those which I suggested on the first episode I was on with Dr. Cordain, back in April), are good for our health.   

It’s no surprise that most people don’t get enough fresh vegetables, enough good fat, enough protein and most get too much sugar, too much salt and too much refined processed (non) food in general.

Take the word ‘Paleo’ out of the picture for a second and consider that if millions of viewers watched the episode and took away even some of what was presented, that could be viewed as progress.

I’ve had much success working with clients globally, helping them integrate True Paleo living into their daily regime, as a lifestyle coach and nutritional advisor, sometimes in conjunction with their doctor’s supervision in the cases where one is tapering off medication or is in any situation where the expertise of an MD and/or Functional Medicine Practitioner is in order.

Far too many doctors pay no attention to what we eat, which shows a huge disconnect in our we approach healthcare, using what I refer to as a ‘Band-Aid’ approach, treating symptoms but not looking into the cause.

Personally, I’m more interested in the big picture- getting people eating a more healthy diet as a whole, even if it means getting there in stages (thus my reference to ‘cheating’ being part of some people’s journey, as partly Paleo is better than not Paleo at all), or testing different methods to see how each makes one feel.

Gosh, I was a vegan myself for two years!  

I do believe in the benefits of following True Paleo and I’ll continue to present what that is.  

If someone doesn’t agree with me, that’s fine;  there is simply no way to please everyone and all be in unison.  

I’ve always recommended that people try different things to test what feels right (I certainly did) and while I would love it if everyone were Paleo, as I think we’d all benefit so tremendously as a society as a whole; again, to reiterate- even partly Paleo is better than not Paleo at all.