:::What is Paleo:::
To me, Paleo is the simple act of eating real food. Generally it refers back to the Paleolithic era (or days when the caveman roamed the earth), what foods they ate and consequently, what types of food we are genetically predisposed to eat. Now before you go get out your loin cloth and spear to hunt wild boar, it more relatively can be a compared to how our Grandparents and their parents use to eat. They ate whole foods, natural foods, not food-like products or foods with ingredients they didn't recognize.
This way of eating has gained a lot popularity, (having been the #1 health related searches on Google in 2013) and for good reason; people are starting to feel better. We are starting to understand that almost all disease starts with one thing: inflammation. Eating a "Paleo" diet is not low carb or even high protein like it often gets labeled; its simply low in processed food that is so far removed from the way its found in nature that our bodies have no idea how to recognize it. Paleo is not carb specific so it's really up to the individual to make up their plates with the amount of carbs they see fit. During this transition, each individual person finds what foods they can and cannot tolerate and through this trial and error can learn to avoid inflammatory foods that do absolutely nothing to contribute to the health and well being of our bodies.
This way of eating has gained a lot popularity, (having been the #1 health related searches on Google in 2013) and for good reason; people are starting to feel better. We are starting to understand that almost all disease starts with one thing: inflammation. Eating a "Paleo" diet is not low carb or even high protein like it often gets labeled; its simply low in processed food that is so far removed from the way its found in nature that our bodies have no idea how to recognize it. Paleo is not carb specific so it's really up to the individual to make up their plates with the amount of carbs they see fit. During this transition, each individual person finds what foods they can and cannot tolerate and through this trial and error can learn to avoid inflammatory foods that do absolutely nothing to contribute to the health and well being of our bodies.
:::What is Low Carb:::
The USDA recommends that based on a 2,000 calorie diet, 300g (1,200 calories or 60%) should come from carbohydrates. So, according to these parameters, its easy to see why someone who eats maybe, 150g of carbs per day can be classified under the "low carb" lifestyle. So while 150g can arguably be considered low carb, its all relative to who's standards you're basing them off of. In my opinion, the USDA values are the same recommendations that got us to the overweight, diabetic and diseased state that we are in right now, so why should I continue to reference it? Should everyone be eating eating 300g of carbs per day? No. Should everyone be eating 150g per day? No, again. Everyone should be eating the amount of carbs that best reflects their lifestyle and physical fitness routines. For example: someone who commutes to their desk job 5 days a week vs a professional triathlete. See what I'm getting at here?
No two bodies are the same and when throw the variable of individual lifestyles in there, this leaves you with absolutely no cut and dry formula for carbohydrate intake. We must learn to start listening to our bodies and be willing to play a game of trial and error to see what works for us individually, instead of turning to Google for an A+B=C method to weight loss. There are so many shades of grey, it always has been and never will be black and white. That being said, low carb approaches continue to yield great results for those trying to lose weight simply because it encourages stable blood sugar levels, increases satiety and keeps you full for hours.
Try swapping out that instant oatmeal for eggs, bacon and berries in the morning and you'll see what I mean. When you're satisfied and avoid sudden dips in energy and increases in hunger, you are less likely to reach for that junk at the nearest vending machine to get your blood sugar back up. I mean, how many of us have honestly made a healthy choice when we are in that 'have to eat yesterday', hangry mode? Not I! Which is why lowering my carb intake, along with increasing my fat, worked so well for me. It enabled me get control of this insatiable appetite I have had for years that led to and encouraged poor eating habits. It allowed me to reprogram my routine and relationship with food, which for nearly a lifetime, included high amounts of processed carbohydrates filled with empty calories.
I don't recommend going low carb immediately from a standard American diet (aka SAD) and the higher the activity level the higher the carbs should be. For most, limiting your carbs to the foods listed here will be just enough to get you on the right path towards a healthier you and a more balanced relationship with food.
No two bodies are the same and when throw the variable of individual lifestyles in there, this leaves you with absolutely no cut and dry formula for carbohydrate intake. We must learn to start listening to our bodies and be willing to play a game of trial and error to see what works for us individually, instead of turning to Google for an A+B=C method to weight loss. There are so many shades of grey, it always has been and never will be black and white. That being said, low carb approaches continue to yield great results for those trying to lose weight simply because it encourages stable blood sugar levels, increases satiety and keeps you full for hours.
Try swapping out that instant oatmeal for eggs, bacon and berries in the morning and you'll see what I mean. When you're satisfied and avoid sudden dips in energy and increases in hunger, you are less likely to reach for that junk at the nearest vending machine to get your blood sugar back up. I mean, how many of us have honestly made a healthy choice when we are in that 'have to eat yesterday', hangry mode? Not I! Which is why lowering my carb intake, along with increasing my fat, worked so well for me. It enabled me get control of this insatiable appetite I have had for years that led to and encouraged poor eating habits. It allowed me to reprogram my routine and relationship with food, which for nearly a lifetime, included high amounts of processed carbohydrates filled with empty calories.
I don't recommend going low carb immediately from a standard American diet (aka SAD) and the higher the activity level the higher the carbs should be. For most, limiting your carbs to the foods listed here will be just enough to get you on the right path towards a healthier you and a more balanced relationship with food.
:::What is Ketogenic:::
Ketosis is simply a state our bodies are capable of being in to burn fat for fuel instead of glycogen from carbohydrates or excess protein. This is achieved when carbohydrates are restricted to under 20g per day, protein intake is moderate and dietary fat is eaten in abundance. Contrary to popular belief, our bodies are quite an impressive piece of machinery as they can shift from one source of fuel to another depending on how you feed it. Think of it as having a vehicle that can run on both diesel and gasoline. Seems absurd at first, right? But it is possible and I've experienced it for myself.
Some people, such as Mark Sisson from Marks Daily Apple and Jimmy Moore from Livin' La Vida Low Carb believe Ketosis to not only be completely natural, but also be the preferred metabolic state (meaning how the body and all its organ systems run) of our bodies, while other well respected figures, such as Robb Wolf, currently disagree.
Both sides of the argument make great points, and I've settled with the following opinion based on my own personal experience:
While my body is capable of running on either carbs or fat for fuel, I feel that it runs much more efficiently when it is utilizing fat as it's primary fuel source. However, a true state of ketosis is much more difficult for me to achieve, and consequently, maintain for a duration of uninterrupted time. For this reason, I make the choice to naturally cycle in and out of ketosis as I deem necessary to fit my lifestyle needs.
Some people, such as Mark Sisson from Marks Daily Apple and Jimmy Moore from Livin' La Vida Low Carb believe Ketosis to not only be completely natural, but also be the preferred metabolic state (meaning how the body and all its organ systems run) of our bodies, while other well respected figures, such as Robb Wolf, currently disagree.
Both sides of the argument make great points, and I've settled with the following opinion based on my own personal experience:
While my body is capable of running on either carbs or fat for fuel, I feel that it runs much more efficiently when it is utilizing fat as it's primary fuel source. However, a true state of ketosis is much more difficult for me to achieve, and consequently, maintain for a duration of uninterrupted time. For this reason, I make the choice to naturally cycle in and out of ketosis as I deem necessary to fit my lifestyle needs.
:::What About Calories:::
This one is tricky, I'll admit. While calories matter, they aren't the most important factor involved in weight management and you shouldn't rely on them solely to lose weight. It's much more important and conducive to achieving your health goals to track your food intake instead. Not all calories are created equal and it was the idea that we needed to simply eat "less calories" that was somehow translated into the acceptance of eating low calorie food-like products in place of natural foods. So while I encourage logging your food intake, which ultimately does include calories, it's not as important as making sure every last one of those calories comes from real food. So do yourself a favor and stop the calorie counting madness and keep it simple. Just eat real food, your body will figure out the rest.
:::Which Approach is Best:::
First off, it all depends on 2 big factors: Your goals and you. I can't recommend Paleo enough, it's truly a lifestyle that simply makes sense for everybody. Even if you can't see yourself giving up your beloved bread, it's difficult to argue that one cannot benefit from eliminating all the processed junk that has flooded our grocery stores. I think no matter what your goals are, its safe to say that everyone should start with eating real food and following a Paleo approach, great book resources can be found here.
Now, is low carb for you? Thats where it just depends and I urge you to be honest with yourself because not everyone needs to be low carb to get weight loss results. It's hard to resist thinking, "Well, if Paleo is good, then Paleo and Low Carb is better!". This is not always the case and please don't stress yourself out trying to take on two big dietary changes at once. You'll likely overwhelm yourself and quit before you even start to see results. So make it a goal to start with a good foundation of Paleo, then once you get the ball rolling on that lifestyle, come back and reassess where adjusting carbs may help get you to your next goal.
This could take months or even years depending on each persons history with food. For myself it took nearly 2 years of attempting to follow a Paleo lifestyle before it actually felt natural to me. Up until that point, it was a constant battle between my longing for old comfort foods (regardless of how awful they made me feel) and wanting to adhere to a lifestyle that made me function optimally. Finally, remember that it took you years to build all your current bad habits, don't be discouraged if the good ones take some time too. Be patient with yourself.
Now, is low carb for you? Thats where it just depends and I urge you to be honest with yourself because not everyone needs to be low carb to get weight loss results. It's hard to resist thinking, "Well, if Paleo is good, then Paleo and Low Carb is better!". This is not always the case and please don't stress yourself out trying to take on two big dietary changes at once. You'll likely overwhelm yourself and quit before you even start to see results. So make it a goal to start with a good foundation of Paleo, then once you get the ball rolling on that lifestyle, come back and reassess where adjusting carbs may help get you to your next goal.
This could take months or even years depending on each persons history with food. For myself it took nearly 2 years of attempting to follow a Paleo lifestyle before it actually felt natural to me. Up until that point, it was a constant battle between my longing for old comfort foods (regardless of how awful they made me feel) and wanting to adhere to a lifestyle that made me function optimally. Finally, remember that it took you years to build all your current bad habits, don't be discouraged if the good ones take some time too. Be patient with yourself.