Paleo Diet Myths

Yesterday I was having a little twitter-bitch with fellow ancestral health nutritionists, Claire Yates and Jamie Scott. Why? Because of the recent coverage of the Paleo diet on A Current Affair. Claire had this image to share in response on her insta account:

Yes, it is great that Paleo is getting more attention, however, unfortunately, it is still being portrayed as a carnivores feast, where animal protein has to form the majority of all of your meals. The ACA coverage kindly provided meal examples for Paleo…with absolutely NO vegetables in sight. Now that’s just not cricket. (For those of you non-Australians, this term basically means “Not cool. Not cool at all”). Indeed, when you mention “Paleo” to many people, they will often say:

• “Urgh! It’s just too much meat!”
• “It is not sustainable, or environmentally friendly”
• “The Paleo Diet is selfish” - Yes, I have heard this one directly – it was like a dagger through my heart. As most paleo-enthusiasts would probably agree, we go out of our way to source the most ethically, humanely, appropriately raised animals and vegetables, AND we support the local farmers who provide us with our food. Gratitude is my second name.

Let me clarify, by way of pervy pictures of my food, that Paleo is NOT (necessarily) a meat-centric diet:

Breakfast: Here we have an entree of sautéed veggies,
and a main of sweet banana omelette with seeds and coconut

Lunch: Salmon with home-made labne,
 avocado, sautéed greens and roast sweet potato

Dinner: Chicken Curry, surrounded by,
and covered in an array of vegetables

Looking at these pictures, I would say my version of the Paleo diet is largely plant-based. Wouldn’t you agree?  Are you a little hungry now?

You see, if we were to think back to hunter-gatherer days, it would be highly doubtful that we were lucky enough to have meat at every meal, let alone every day. If we caught ourselves a Wilderbeest, it might last us a few days (maybe), AND we would be eating the WHOLE animal, not just the muscle meat, which would actually be the least-prized meat, as most of the nutrition lies in the organ meats – the liver, kidneys, brain, eyes….you may be squirmy, but these are the parts of the animal we should be embracing if we truly want to get the most out of this jig.

So what other untruths are being propagated about the Paleo diet?

• Paleo is low in fibre. This is generally the biggy that dietitians pull out and, if we were to just eat meat and meat alone then yes, we probably would be lacking in poop-bulking, bacteria-feeding fibre (nice image in your head right now, isn’t there?). However, as I have hopefully shown above, the Paleo diet does not have to be lacking in fibre. In fact, I just plugged in a typical day’s worth of food and I am getting MORE than the recommended dietary intake (RDI). So stick that in your fibre-filled pipe and smoke it!
• Paleo is low-carb. This one is controversial. Many people say low-carb is best. Many people say low-carb is bad. I’m of the opinion that everybody is different and should adjust their carbohydrate (and fat and protein) intake accordingly. I have seen some people excel on low-carb, while others fall flat on their face. For example, if you spend 20 hours a day playing World of Warcraft, you probably aren’t going to require the same amount of carbs as Usain Bolt. It’s not rocket science, but it can take a little bit of experimentation.  If we were to look back at traditional societies, some actually consumed a diet that was 70% carbs, whereas other would have 90% fat – both exhibiting exceptional health! I’m going to do a post in the next couple of weeks on carbs, so I’ll stop there on this one, but I think you get the point. In the meantime, you could check outthis interesting article by Mark Sisson on the variety of Paleo diets that actually existed
• Paleo is dairy free. Strictly speaking, yes “paleo” is dairy free. However, some people who follow this way of eating find that they do just fine, and even thrive, on dairy, especially unprocessed, full-fat milk. The Maasai of Africa continue to flourish on fresh milk (and blood, and meat). Who are we to say then, that they shouldn’t have any dairy, if they are feeling like Peter from Family Guy on ecstasy. If you can't see it here, do yourself a favour and watch it HERE

Maybe not the best example, but it has been too long between Family Guy clips. I saw an opportunity, and I took it, OK?!

• We eat a block of butter each day. Paleo is not Atkins. While butter is incredibly delicious and nutritious, there is no need to go overboard. A little butter on your steamed veggies is a great way to help absorb the fat-soluble nutrients. It sure beats margarine, which is highly processed and not what I would call a food at all. Anyone who wants to argue with me on this one….bring it!
• Paleo is expensive. Cancer is expensive. Multiple Sclerosis is expensive. Heart disease is expensive. Diabetes is expensive. Anutrient-dense diet that could prevent or even reverse these diseases? Not expensive. Eating a Paleo diet does not mean that you have to dine on organic eye fillet, oysters and caviar! Paleo is easy to do on a budget. I’ve been there! Choose cheaper cuts of meat, such as lamb shanks, beef chuck steak and osso bucco. Use the “Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen” list to decide which veggies you should buy organic. And if you can’t afford any organic, that is OK! Heck, it you can only afford frozen veggies, that’s cool too. Often, frozen veggies will have more vitamins and minerals than their “fresh” counterparts at the supermarket anyway. If you’re still not convinced, Google “Paleo on a budget” – I guarantee you that you’ll find some handy resources. Robb Wolf has a great guide, too.
• Paleo is unsustainable. Generally this one is brought up in regards to the impact that raising cattle to feed us has on the environment. If we all relied on grain-fed, factory-farmed cattle then yes, the world would probably implode (not necessarily factual). However – Paleo nearly ALWAYS emphasizes grass-fed, humanely raised animal produce. And for the sake of brevity, I will not argue why grass-fed is better (I have done so previsouly HERE), but I will point you in the direction of Allan Savory’s TED talk, which is well-worth a watch!
• Paleo is lacking in nutrients. Pffft. That is what I have to say to that! Cast your eyes back to my meals – there is a shit-load of veggies there, providing plenty of vitamins and minerals. And that’s just the start. Then there are eggs, liver, bone broth, sauerkraut, kombucha, beet kvass, kefir, meat, chicken, fish, nuts, seeds, yoghurt, avocado, coconut, berries, bananas, olive oil…. Please – tell me – what nutrients is this diet lacking in? In fact, I heard on a podcast the other day that it should be called “The nutrient dense diet”. As a side note – if you are eating an ancestral diet, you really should be eating organ meats. Not just for their incredible density of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, but it is just respectful to the animal – if we are going to sacrifice its life for ours, then we should at least eat the whole thing (or as much as we can)

That’s just SOME of the myths. I’m sure there are more and please feel free to point them out in the comments below. As a final point – I am not an idiot. I am a university-trained dietitian. I studied my arse off and graduated with first-class honours. Do you really think I would be dumb enough to follow, or recommend, a “fad” diet that is harmful to my, and others’, health? I studied nutrition and dietetics because I wanted to help people avoid disease and attain optimal health and wellness so they can feel as good as they possibly can, for as long as they can (kind of like Peter on ecstasy, above). 

For those of you paleo naysayers out there, I have this to say: 

Just for a moment, take your ego out of it, forget about the “guidelines” that the government has told us to live by, and ask yourself “does this make sense?”.

Should you eat white potatoes?

I was going to make the title “You say potato, I say potato”, but the written word doesn’t really convey that sentence very well now, does it? I’d have to spell it out like they do in the Oxford: “pohtahtoh” and that would just be too confusing.

Secondly, I figured a title asking a provocative question would be more effective at sucking you in. “Oh my god!! Should I eat white potatoes? I must check this out!”

Was I right or was I right? (Lesson number one to get people to agree with you: don’t provide options for disagreement).

Now, we are going to get to the topic of white potatoes, but first I want to leave you hanging just a little to update you on some personal information, most of which you probably couldn’t give a rats-arse about. Whatever, it’s my blog. I can do what I want. (But really, if you have to make an important potato decision in the next few minutes, feel free to scroll down to the promised information).

Update #1 – I’m now living in New Zealand and it’s sweet as, eh bro!?

If you didn’t already know, I married a kiwi a few years back. Kiwi men are pretty great, actually. Especially mine. That’s why I agreed to come back to the mother ship with him. We spent the last month doing a little tiki-tour around the south island (you can see some pics HERE in my last post) to see where we felt comfortable (and where had the best kombucha) and where we might like to settle down. We decided on Wanaka. Here is a gratuitous shot of said place:

Image via lakewanaka.co.nz

Visitors welcome! The ski-fields in the winter are apparently the best in the country. During the summer it's pretty amazing, too. 

Update #2 – I’m writing stuff in other places

Yep! I’m cheating on this blog with a couple of other sites. I’m becoming a blog tart:

a) Woman.com.au – you can check out my first post HERE 

b) I Quit Sugar – I mostly write in the forums, which are only accessed by people completing the program, but occasionally I will offer my “expert” opinion on matters of interest, such as coffee HERE

Check them out and let me know what you think!

Update #3 – I’m writing an ebook

 I realise this could have nestled under “Update #2”, however I wanted to add an extra update to make myself seem more important.

I started writing a little ebook on health and wellness this morning. I’m planning on it not being a monster of a book. More of a get-started primer. If you’re lucky, it may be free, at least for those of you who are good at bribery. More on this as it progresses. Progression may be slow as I tend to get distracted by things like Grey’s Anatomy and trampolines:

Jumping on the trampoline with my 4yr old niece, Lucy

Back to the spuds

Do you ever say things because everyone else says them? Or because they sound right? Or because potatoes taste too good to possibly be good for you? Or because Mr Potato-Head rubbed you up the wrong way? 

Look at him - all smug and potatoey! Image source

A few years ago, I was home in the country with my parents. My mum cooks a pretty mean baked dinner – something I look forward to (and specifically request) each time I go home. This time I shunned the baked white potatoes exclaiming, with mild disgust and an air of arrogance:

“O.M.G! White potatoes are pretty much just piles of sugar. They are nothing else. They are no good for you! (and I am the source of all knowledge because I’m a dietitian!)”

And I proceeded to sit smugly, enjoying my baked dinner sans-white potato (but loaded with sweet potato), knowing (thinking) that my blood sugar levels would thank me later.

My Dad tried to tell me otherwise, stating that he once went on a diet where he ate loads of potatoes every day. He said he felt amazing and that he actually lost weight. “It must have been something else that you were doing. It could not have been the potatoes”, I said. Dismissive little shit, I was.

Where did this “potatoes=sugar=poison” mindset come from?

1. Paleo diet enthusiasts. Back in the day, all carbs were bad as they cause blood sugar to rise and insulin to release, which is the devil hormone (not really) as it promotes fat storage (among many other important processes), therefore carbs suck. And potatoes are a great source of carbs. Therefore potatoes suck. We now know better. Carbs aren’t so bad (for most people, especially those who exercise and are free of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity). More on this in an upcoming post. It was also thought that ‘taters don’t have anything in them BUT carbs. You’ll see evidence to the contrary below
2. Mainstream dietetics. Yep, this was one of those situations where both camps (paleo vs mainstream dietitians) agreed on something. Potatoes are high on the glycemic index (higher than table sugar, infact), meaning, as mentioned above, they cause a large spike in blood sugar. I don’t really agree with the glycemic index. I wrote about why on I Quit Sugar, which you can read HERE.
3. Potatoes are white. Sugar is white. Cocaine is white. Uncool by association, I suspect. 

Are the ‘taters really all that bad?

As it turns out, and as you may have guessed already, no. No they are not. Now, it is no secret that I have a bit of an obsession with sweet potatoes. They are delicious morsels of goodness in every way shape and form. But for the sake of this post, I want to compare the nutritional content of the sweet and white potato. Let’s do so by way of an easy-to-view table, previously constructed by yours truly. I’ve even highlighted some points of interest:

Potato vs Sweet Potato per 100g
	New (white) potato	Sweet potato
Energy	419kJ	362kJ
Moisture	72.1g	74g
Protein	3.5g	2.3g
Nitrogen	0.56g	0.37g
Fat	0.2g	0.1g
Dietary fibre	2.4g	3.7g
Fructose	0.1g	1.5g
Glucose	0.5g	2.1g
Sucrose	0.3g	3.3g
Maltose	0g	0g
Lactose	0g	0g
Total sugars	0.8g	6.8g
Starch	18.6g	10.4g
Available carbohydrate	19.4g	17.2g
Calcium	7mg	33mg
Iron	0.91mg	0.61mg
Magnesium	30mg	17mg
Potassium	779mg	305mg
Sodium	5mg	12mg
Zinc	0.53mg	0.61mg
Thiamin (B1)	0.116mg	0.031mg
Riboflavin (B2)	0.043mg	0.058mg
Niacin (B3)	1.8mg	1.16mg
Niacin Equivalents	2.62mg	1.86mg
Total folates	15ug	12ug
Dietary folate equivalents	15ug	12ug
Alpha carotene	0ug	55ug
Beta carotene	0ug	7244ug
Cryptoxanthin	0ug	329ug
Beta carotene equivalents	0ug	7436ug
Retinol	0ug	0ug
Retinol equivalents	0ug	1239ug
Vitamin C	29mg	30mg
Tryptophan	42mg	38mg
Source: NUTTAB 2010 Online Searchable Database

OK, let’s go through some of the highlighted points:

1. White potatoes have slightly more protein than sweet potatoes, although I would not recommend counting on either as a bioavailable (available to the body) source of protein. The best protein comes from animal sources. Sorry vego friends.
2. Sweet potatoes have more fructose than white potatoes, and the ratio of fructose:glucose is higher in sweet potatoes. Why does this matter? Glucose is easily absorbed into the bloodstream. Fructose, not so much. If paired in equal amounts with glucose, there shouldn’t be a problem – you could view glucose as a bit of a vehicle for fructose. If there is more fructose than glucose, this could spell issues for people with digestive problems, especially those who cannot tolerate FODMAPS.
3. White potatoes have a considerably higher starch content, which breaks down to glucose to be used for energy or to replace glycogen stores (glucose which is stored in the liver and muscle). Note: this starch content comes in handy when cooked potatoes are cooled for ~24hrs, producing “resistant starch” which, more evidence is proving, has some pretty nifty beneficial effects on the gut flora and digestion.
4. Sweet potatoes have a higher calcium content. Would you have thought of these little babies as a source of calcium? No? Good. You would have to eat a shite-load to get anywhere near the mainstream recommendations of 1,000mg per day.
5. White potatoes have around double the content of magnesium and potassium! Going by the NHMRC nutrient reference values, 100g of potato (about 1 large new potato) provides ~27% of your daily requirements for potassium. Fun fact: 100g of banana (about 1 medium) provides ~346mg of potassium. And this: 100mL of coconut water provides ~200mg of potassium. Conclusion: potatoes shit all over these other sources! Just in case you were wondering, potassium is important for blood pressure regulation and heart health, maintaining electrolyte balance within he body, kidney health and more!
6. Sweet potatoes blow white potatoes out of the water when it comes to beta-carotene, which is a precursor for vitamin A. The daily recommendations for vitamin A, expressed as retinol equivalents is 700ug/day (micrograms/day). A 100g serve of sweet potato provides more than 10 times that amount! Wowsers! Vitamin A helps maintain normal reproduction, vision and immune function. Note that beta-carotene (and other carotenoids) are precursors for vitamin A. Just because there is a tonne of the precursor in the food, this doesn’t mean you are going to be able to convert it all to its usable, vitamin A form. Pre-formed vitamin A is only found in animal products, such as liver, eggs and grass-fed butter, so best you go and make some pate! 

So there you have it! The ‘taters aren’t so shabby after all, are they? I certainly have enjoyed adding them back into my diet. Here’s how I like to munch on them:

Image by Norma Miller via pinterest

1. Peeled and roasted in duck fat and sea salt until they are crispy. If you haven’t tried potatoes this way, you haven’t lived.
2. Boiled/steamed and served with a great big dollop of grass-fed butter. Note: boiling will reduce the potassium content by about 50% as it is lost to the surrounding water
3. Boiled/steamed and mashed with butter and chives, or cumin, or both!
4. Cooked, cooled and eaten with a smattering of sea salt OR thrown into a potato salad with some homemade mayo. 

 Now go and enjoy some yummy, AND nutritious, potatoes my friends!

Nutrition information sources:

NUTTAB 2010 Online Searchable Database 

NHMRC Nutrient Reference Values