Comment by ohmygodel | Hacker News Reader

Comment by ohmygodel | Hacker News Reader

I follow a paleo diet strictly on weekdays, and for probably 75% of my calories on weekends. I've been doing this for a few months. I'm basically doing this as an experiment - the argument that we should eat what we evolved eating is compelling as a general principle.

I haven't lost or gained weight. My workouts haven't been much worse or much better. I don't notice a difference in energy levels, although I find it harder to ignore hunger now. My major impressions are that a paleo diet is expensive and inconvenient.

This is just my experience. The scientific arguments that I've seen made follow the general pattern of this article: neolithic foods contain chemicals (e.g. lectins, phytates, etc.) that are bad for our bodies.

These kinds of arguments are extremely unconvincing. Digestion and metabolism involves thousands of chemicals and reactions. Trying to piece together how it works is important, but a couple isolated components are not nearly enough with which to make judgements for your health.

Arguments from personal experience are even worse. If you "feel better" on the diet, are you sure it's the diet? Is it the placebo effect? Is it the fact that you are likely eating more fiber and nutrients? Is it a difference in blood sugar levels that you notice? Even worse, is the advice to cut out foods, and then test how those foods make you feel when reintroduced. Any change can easily be interpreted negatively. Also, your body has adjusted to the new foods (which quite likely caused their own painful adjustment period).

Good arguments would make actual health claims, such as 1. The chance that you develop heart disease will fall. 2. The chance that you develop cancer will fall. 3. The diet will prevent some other diseases (e.g. diabetes). 4. Some specific symptoms from some specific diseases will lessen.

Currently, this whole fad seems like a big echo chamber of people seeing exactly what they want to see.

From the article:

Now there is a caveat to this. You only need to be exposed to things like gluten once every ten to fifteen days to keep the gut damaged. This can bedevil people as they “cut back on gluten” but do not notice an improvement in their overall health. I’m sorry but there is not a pink “participant” ribbon given out for doing this “almost correctly.” You need to be 100 percent compliant for thirty days, then see how you do with reintroduction.

As for: Is it the fact that you are likely eating more fiber and nutrients? Is it a difference in blood sugar levels that you notice?

Those are both directly related to what you are eating. I feel better when my blood sugar levels don't spike -- which is why I'm eating paleo.

Also, you didn't really put for an argument as to why the advice to cut out foods then add them back in is bad. If your body has healed itself and is functioning great without grains, then you eat a big pizza -- you will almost surely see how it affects your system.

If you consume something out of the ordinary, your body is not used to digesting it. For example, the necessary enzymes and bacteria are not likely to be in large supply. Also, you may be hyper- or hypo- sensitive to neurotransmitters (like dopamine) that are released in reponse to the chemicals that are unusually present in the foreign food.

Cut out vegetables from your diet, for example, and you will experience serious intestinal distress when you reintroduce them.

> Cut out vegetables from your diet, for example, and you will experience serious intestinal distress when you reintroduce them.

I've actually done that[1], and experienced the complete opposite. I found myself dreaming about eating broccoli, and absolutely craving all kinds of vegetables. When the diet ended I ate lots of vegetables -- and certainly no intestinal distress when eating them.

[1] - "Velocity Diet": the very definition of fad diet, which basically consists of drinking a protein shake 5 times a day for 4 weeks, with 1 solid meal per week. It worked, but I'd never ever do it again, nor recommend anyone ever do it.

OK, that is a valid data point. In my own experience, when I increased the amount of vegetables (mostly green vegetables) I was eating, I felt bad for weeks until I adjusted.

"I follow a paleo diet strictly on weekdays, and for probably 75% of my calories on weekends."

What about the article's claim that you have to follow the diet 100% or it doesn't work?

I guess that could be the reason. It does strain credulity, though, that our bodily systems would be so brittle in this case. It reminds me instead of religious adherents, who, when faced with the misfortune of a fellow believer, blame the believer for not believing/praying/trying hard enough.

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