More on PaleoFX 2014

So what is Paleo? More correctly what is the Paleo Movement? How do we define it. It starts with self improvement through diet and exercise. But it doesn't stop there. To me Paleo is about giving up nonscientific thoughts about our origin, about what we are and our place on this earth. We are animals on this planet and we evolved with all the other animals on the planet. Its not only about improving our own looks, health, and performance. Its about helping others improve their looks, health, and  performance. Its about improving the earths looks, health, and performance. What did I learn at PaleoFX 2014? Paleo is now really a movement not just a diet and exercise program.

   What did I learn at PaleoFX 2014? I learned that Paleo is still growing and it is only going to get bigger. I learned that Paleo is more than a diet and exercise. Its about community and making this earth a better place to live.

   It was hard for me to go to PaleoFX this year. Money aside. Let's talk about the other reasons why I put off making reservations and my heart wasn't in it this year. It was because the paleo way of eating wasn't working for women. This sucks, I still haven't found what works for every woman every time. This is what I must have; a way of eating that works for every woman every time. This is a constant source of irritation for me. Why can't women drop the fat like men do? I think I have my  program dial in now. I have huge confidence in my ability to control my fat. But I have little to no confidence in my ability to help women lose fat. This makes me very angry.

   So after that rant let me follow it with this, I think leaky gut and unhealthy gut flora are to blame for the variations in results with the Paleo diet. I've been thinking this more and more. Listening to Dr. Michael Ruscio talk on "Why Paleo isn't working" further my belief in the idea that the gut is to blame for problems with losing fat and being healthy. 

   One of the things I want to write about is the candy cigarettes at PaleoFX. The expo floor was full of people peddling goodies. Some of you may remember Dr. Kurt Harris blasting the Paleo sphere about artificial sweeteners back in 2010 with his article, "Smoking Candy Cigarettes". Meat treats, pastry treats, and drinks that were soda replacements were everywhere on the expo floor. There were so many free samples I did have to buy a lunch. I filled up on free samples. It was great and thank all of you that supplied the samples. But that is what they were, candy cigarettes. Wholesome paleo treats to replace the commercial big agriculture treats of mainstream. There is no doubt that these products are far more healthy than what else is on the market. They are gluten free, diary free, grain free, soy free, and GMO free. They are certified organic. But for me this are still trigger foods. They are foods that take the place of the other truly healthy foods I should be eating like; green leafy vegetables, cruciferious vegetables, other true vegetables, and whole fruits.

    It worries me that these sort of treats will further prevent people from having success with the Paleo way of eating. You don't want to just replace commercial junk food with Paleo junk food. But at the same time I realize that these products make it easier for people to transition to a health Paleo way of eating (WOE). I used this sort of foods in my transition into a Paleo WOE. But I had to make the treats because at that time these sort of foods were not on the market. 

   The good news is there are several companies that are producing ready made meals for people following a Paleo WOE. These meal come in boxes or tins that you heat and serve. They are made with the finest ingredients available. They are all Paleo compliant. This can be of real benefit for newbies and those that are just too busy to cook from scratch. The cost may be a prohibiting factor though. This leads me to another thought on what I learned at PaleoFX. Food quality is king. 

    If you get nothing else from Paleo, learn that it is about eating the freshest most nutrient dense foods you can find. Eating foods that haven't been made by man. I've know this and taught this for a long time but it really hit home at the conference.