Tired of everything Paleo?

We are too! Below we break down the difference between our program and the Paleo diet and help you figure out what works best for YOU!

Nutritional Wisdom vs. The Paleo Diet

There are many similarities, enough so that we get asked this all the time. Whether it’s Paleo, South Beach, the Zone, or the "rub your belly pat your head" diet (I hear this diet is amazing), these are all DIETS. Diets are plans you go ON…and OFF of. So let’s clear the air and talk some good truths here.

First and foremost we don’t promote diets. We provide lifestyles, BOOYAH (fist pump)!

Mostly all sane diets (grapefruit diet EXCLUDED) are going to promote fresh fruits and veggies, clean proteins, nuts and seeds, and healthy oils as the base. Some say no potatoes, yes potatoes, no red meat, yes red meat. But the root of these diets is basically the same. Good ol’ fashioned clean eating with a focus on greens. Pssst...Any diet will fail you if you don’t learn the root of why when we "know better", we don’t DO better, but that’s a whole different newsletter.

The Paleo diet believes we should only eat what our Paleolithic ancestors consumed in a ratio of high protein, high fat, and VERY low carbohydrate. I’ve done my research, most of it taken by Christina Warinner, an archeologist and scientist, who studies the nutrition of ancient people. The most interesting fact she brings up is that most of the foods we see in the Paleo cookbooks and on our plates are domesticated foods from farming methods. There was no such thing as broccoli in the Paleolithic diet (it was a flower), carrots were bitter and spiky, and tomatoes were poisonous. Lettuce was indigestible and there were no oils because it required even a rudimentary press that the Paleolithic people didn’t have. She proved that the Paleo diet was too varied to follow a set of rules and that it came down to eating a diet based on what was available, weather permitting. She makes an important point that these people ate differently depending on the time of year, that most of the meat they ate was actually very lean, and that there were in fact beans in some regions of the world at that time. So basically, the Paleo diet you hear about today is not the Paleolithic diet of our ancestors. Are we arguing semantics on some level? Yes, but it's not appropriate to call unprocessed eating the “Paleo Diet”. Paleolithic people also ate insects, tree bark, and anything else they could get their hands on…why didn't these ingredients make it into the cookbooks?!? Stay tuned for our grasshopper tree bark smoothie recipe...

Now that we have the facts, I want to be clear that we aren’t anti-"Paleo". Take away some of the extremes and Paleo is just logical healthy eating. We usually use Paleo recipes because we are guaranteed that they are gluten-free, dairy-free, and low in sugar. This doesn’t mean that you can’t add quinoa to a dish, or eat hummus for a snack…we have those recipes too.

Nutritional Wisdom believes in biochemical individuality. This means that different diets work for different people. Depending on ancestry, lifestyle, stress level, digestive health etc… different ratios of carbohydrate, protein, and fat will be necessary for optimal fueling (although the promotion of fresh unprocessed food remain ubiquitous). The Paleo diet believes in “one approach fits all”, and that’s just plain impossible.

Lastly, too much of anything isn’t balanced. We teach people how to intuitively eat so that their bodies, not a diet book, can guide them.

If I had to sum up healthy eating in three sentences, they would be: Eat vegetables, fruits, clean meats, nuts and seeds, beans, gluten-free grains, and water in the ratio that your body requires; Eat no more than what you can carry in your two hands at each sitting; If you can grow it or kill it, you can eat it. This is a great place to start.

At Nutritional Wisdom we promote the “specific ratio of food that’s right for you with lots of veggies and all unprocessed, fresh ingredients” diet, with a cupcake thrown in here and there. We also practice a whole body approach, knowing nutrition is just one of six principles to overall health and vitality. Every diet expert has study upon study “proving” that his or her theory is right. There is no right diet for everyone, but there is a right diet for YOU right now. We are here to help you find that balance.

Get vegucated!

Jicama
(pronounced hee-kah-mah)

Fun fact #1 – Jicama is also known as a "Mexican turnip" or "Mexican yam" and is composed of 86-90% water

Fun fact #2 – Raw jicama is very similar in taste to raw apples - light, sweet and crisp

Fun fact #3 – Jicama can weigh up to 50 pounds but is best harvested when under 5 pounds

Nutrition Info – Jicama is low in calories but high in several vital nutrients such as inulin (fiber), vitamin C, and potassium

Health Benefits – Jicama is said to promote heart health, protect against osteoporosis and promote "good" bacterial growth in the gut which maintains a healthy colon and balanced immunity

When and how to buy – Jicama is available year-round. Choose unblemished jicama with a fresh-looking sheen. Dull, older jicama will be dried out and full of tough fibers.

How to store – Keep in the vegetable drawer of the fridge for up to 2 weeks

How to prepare – Just before using jicama, peel off the skin and fibrous layer beneath. Fresh: grate, dice or julienne to add crunchy texture to salads and slaws; cut into slices or sticks for crudites. Cooked: steam, boil, bake, stir-fry, saute' or braise.Preserved: pickle sticks of jicama. Pairs well with chili, lime, avocado and mango.

Here are a few of our favorite recipes:

Tropical Tacos with Jicama Slaw

http://www.nutritionalwisdom.com/recipes/tropical-tacos-w-jicama-slaw/

Jicama Home Fries

http://www.nutritionalwisdom.com/recipes/jicama-home-fries/