We have all encountered them, or will sooner or later. Those paleo folks that like to point out to everyone what is or is not paleo. The nice term for these folks is the "Paleo Police". I may call them other names in my head but I wont say those here :-). These self-appointed food sheriffs like to patrol the web and make sure that anyone that strays from the land of "paleo purity" is swiftly reprimanded. I have a love/hate relationship with the paleo police, and I will tell you why.
What I LIKE about the Paleo Police:
I believe it is important to maintain certain guidelines within any diet/lifestyle. If I went around telling people on low-fat diets that they could eat double cheeseburgers every single day, I would be doing them a disservice. That would most certainly not be considered low-fat, and it would be important that someone tell me I was incorrect.
The same thing applies in the land of paleo. If someone is going around saying a box of macaroni and cheese is paleo, then they are not representing the lifestyle correctly and are handing out incorrect information. I would expect the paleo police to come to the rescue in this case. If someone is trying to help educate others in a respectful manner, and within reasonable boundaries, then they get my thumbs up.
Unfortunately there is a gray area that most paleo police like to patrol in, and that is where I have an issue.
What I DISLIKE about the Paleo Police:
What I LIKE about the Paleo Police:
I believe it is important to maintain certain guidelines within any diet/lifestyle. If I went around telling people on low-fat diets that they could eat double cheeseburgers every single day, I would be doing them a disservice. That would most certainly not be considered low-fat, and it would be important that someone tell me I was incorrect.
The same thing applies in the land of paleo. If someone is going around saying a box of macaroni and cheese is paleo, then they are not representing the lifestyle correctly and are handing out incorrect information. I would expect the paleo police to come to the rescue in this case. If someone is trying to help educate others in a respectful manner, and within reasonable boundaries, then they get my thumbs up.
Unfortunately there is a gray area that most paleo police like to patrol in, and that is where I have an issue.
What I DISLIKE about the Paleo Police:
Most of the time the paleo police are not operating within what I consider to be reasonable boundaries. These individuals expect everyone to abide by the same limitations they do, and they are happy to attack who doesn't agree with them. They claim to hunt their own food and grow their own crops. They don't use any seasonings and they grill their food over an open flame. They somehow manage to get wireless access to their remote cave dwelling where they spend their spare time tanning animal hides and trolling the internet looking for people to harass (OK I am exaggerating here but you get my point). I would love to follow these people around with a camera 24 hours a day and see if they actually do live the lifestyle they say they do. Actually I wouldn't love that because I don't really care if they do or don't, they still are annoying.
I have yet to see two people who agree 100% on what paleo is. I think that is actually a wonderful thing, because that means that we can all tailor the lifestyle to meet our needs and to fit with what works for us. People who are taking a step towards better health should be applauded and encouraged, not persecuted and ridiculed. I would rather see someone eat paleo 5 days a week, and eat non-paleo the other 2, than for them to just eat processed junk every single day. And if that is what works for them and they feel good doing that, then more power to them.
I don't tell people what to eat or not eat, or how much to eat of something, but I am conscious of the fact that I am posting recipes that represent a certain lifestyle, and that those recipes should fall within certain guidelines. I try to adhere to those guidelines while still offering a variety of interesting recipes, and it is up to the individual to choose how much of those foods they eat. Eating a wide variety of foods (including occasional treats like paleo pancakes or cookies) makes this lifestyle bearable for me. If someone can live strictly off plainly cooked meats and raw vegetables then I am happy for them, but that just doesn't work for me or my family.
The leading experts in the paleo field advocate allowing yourself to eat non-paleo foods once in a while, unless you have medical issues that limit you from doing so. These are individuals who have spent a great deal of time understanding the science behind paleo and the effects of a paleo lifestyle on the human body. I turn to these individuals for guidance, and then take those guidelines and apply them to my life in a way that works right for me. If you are doing the same then you should be on the right track.
And if you happen to encounter the paleo police, please be understanding (or just ignore them entirely). It is lonely living in a cave and they probably are just cranky from sleeping on a rock pillow every night.
I have yet to see two people who agree 100% on what paleo is. I think that is actually a wonderful thing, because that means that we can all tailor the lifestyle to meet our needs and to fit with what works for us. People who are taking a step towards better health should be applauded and encouraged, not persecuted and ridiculed. I would rather see someone eat paleo 5 days a week, and eat non-paleo the other 2, than for them to just eat processed junk every single day. And if that is what works for them and they feel good doing that, then more power to them.
I don't tell people what to eat or not eat, or how much to eat of something, but I am conscious of the fact that I am posting recipes that represent a certain lifestyle, and that those recipes should fall within certain guidelines. I try to adhere to those guidelines while still offering a variety of interesting recipes, and it is up to the individual to choose how much of those foods they eat. Eating a wide variety of foods (including occasional treats like paleo pancakes or cookies) makes this lifestyle bearable for me. If someone can live strictly off plainly cooked meats and raw vegetables then I am happy for them, but that just doesn't work for me or my family.
The leading experts in the paleo field advocate allowing yourself to eat non-paleo foods once in a while, unless you have medical issues that limit you from doing so. These are individuals who have spent a great deal of time understanding the science behind paleo and the effects of a paleo lifestyle on the human body. I turn to these individuals for guidance, and then take those guidelines and apply them to my life in a way that works right for me. If you are doing the same then you should be on the right track.
And if you happen to encounter the paleo police, please be understanding (or just ignore them entirely). It is lonely living in a cave and they probably are just cranky from sleeping on a rock pillow every night.
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