How to Keep Feces Out of Your Bloodstream (or Lose 10 Pounds in 14 Days) 1,206 Comments

Written by Topics: Physical Performance


Ruh-roh. (Photo: Toby Otter)

Following our Paleolithic ancestors, our Neolithic ancestors lost an average of six inches in height. Most people now have those last 5-10 pounds that seem impossible lose. The causes for both, surprisingly, may be the same.

Robb Wolf can explain. Robb, a former research biochemist, has functioned as a review editor for the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism and is co-owner of NorCal Strength & Conditioning, one of the Men’s Health “top 30 gyms in America.” He’s also a former California State Powerlifting Champion with a competition 565 lb. squat, 345 lb. bench, 565 lb. deadlift…

I have known of Robb for several years, but I only met him through a friend a week ago. Several weeks earlier, that same friend had sent me a copy of Robb’s book, The Paleo Solution, which I ended up devouring in a few sittings. The chapters on digestion and improving digestion where particularly fascinating to me, and, for that reason, this post is a book excerpt. It details a particular problem and specific solutions. Enjoy.

Enter Robb Wolf.

A Common Problem

Below I describe several people who at first glance appear different, but in fact they all share a common problem. They had significant health issues with no apparent cause or solution and assumed they had no treatment options, as their doctors were stumped and could offer few solutions.

For you, this chapter may represent the “missing link” in your quest for improved performance and health.

Alex, Age Five

I first learned of Alex from my friend Kelly. She related a story of a little boy who was very sick, underweight, and suffering from constant digestive problems. If you like kids and other small, scurrying critters, Alex’s features and symptoms were literally heartbreaking. He had painfully skinny arms and legs, attached seemingly at random to a torso dominated by a prominently distended belly. At night Alex thrashed and turned in his bed, wracked by diffuse pain in his arms, legs and, especially, his belly. Alex had severe lethargy and a “failure to thrive.” His doctors ran extensive tests but found nothing conclusive. They recommended a bland diet of toast, rice puddings, and yogurt, but with no benefit to the little guy.

Kelly contacted me on behalf of the family and asked if I had any ideas that might help Alex. I made a few specific recommendations, which the parents enacted immediately. Within ten days, Alex’s perpetually distended belly was flat and normal. He gained six pounds in a little over two weeks and was noticeably more muscular in the arms and legs. His sleep shifted from the thrashing, restless bouts that left him listless and tired, to the sleep all kids should have: restful, unbroken, and filled with dreams. Alex’s energy improved to such a degree that the other kids and parents could hardly imagine he was the same kid. He was healthy and happy, all because of a simple adjustment he and his family made to his eating.

Sally, Age Sixty-One

Sally was referred to us by her family physician. Sally’s doctor had worked with her on a variety of issues: low thyroid, osteoporosis, gall bladder problems, depression, and high blood pressure. It was an impressive and ever-growing list of ailments that both Sally and her doctor attributed to “normal” aging. Her doc was pretty forward thinking, however, in that she recommended that Sally perform “weight bearing exercise” to help slow the progression of the osteoporosis and muscle wasting that been accelerating in the past four to five years.

When this recommendation brought Sally to us, she was a bit reluctant to get started with a strength-training program and was very reluctant to modify or change her nutrition. We were gentle but persistent.

Our recommendations focused on specific changes to her nutrition and lifestyle. Within two months Sally was off her thyroid medications, her gall bladder issues were gone, she was four pants sizes smaller, while her symptoms of depression had disappeared. After six months of training with us and following our nutrition recommendations, it was discovered that she was no longer osteoporotic.

Of all the improvements, Sally’s doctor was most impressed with the increased bone density. She asked Sally what she had modified to affect this change. When Sally told her doctor how she had changed her nutrition, her doctor pondered things for a moment, then said, “Well, it must be something else! Food can’t do all that.”

Jorge, Age Forty

Jorge started working with us primarily to lose weight. At five feet nine inches and 325 pounds, Jorge was heading down a path of significant illness stemming from type 2 diabetes and obesity. Compounding Jorge’s situation was a condition neither he nor his doctors could figure out. Nearly every time Jorge ate, he would break out in a rash and his tongue would swell. Like really swell. Jorge had to keep an epi-pen on his person at all times, similar to someone who has a severe allergy to bee stings or peanuts.

Jorge is a practicing attorney and several times a week he would dash out of the courtroom on a mad trip to the emergency room, where he would receive antihistamines to bring his tongue swelling under control. His doctors were (again) stumped. His blood work did not show a specific allergy, nor did he appear to have a full-blown autoimmune disease. Certain immune cells were obviously overactive, but in an atypical fashion that left the allergists and rheumatologists scratching their heads.

We recommended a nutritional change for Jorge, which he fought tooth and nail. God has never made a person more appropriate to be an argumentative lawyer! Part begging, part threatening, we finally won Jorge over and told him, “Just do this for a month. If it does not work, what have you lost? If it does work, what will you have gained?”

Jorge gave things a shot and his tongue swelling disappeared. Now a year later, Jorge is down to 255 pounds and making headway toward his goal of a lean, strong 225 pounds. Thankfully, Jorge now argues for us instead of against us! Not to beat up on the physicians too much, but when Jorge told his docs what he changed, they too did not believe the cause and effect staring them straight in the face.

So, What Did We Do?

It will come as a surprise for most people that the underlying cause of all the issues described above, in these very different people, was the same thing—a common component in nearly everyone’s diet. Gluten.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye oats, and barley. Other grains such as corn and rice have similar, but less problematic proteins (we will talk about that later).

OK, calm down, I get it. Bread, pasta, and cookies are yummy. They are also likely killing you. The other sections of this book I’m willing to give you a “pass” on understanding the technical points. Most people kinda get the insulin/high-carb issue. People are slowly realizing there are “good fats.” So, I’ll not hold you responsible for that material. However, I insist you read this grain issue, ponder it, and then do what I recommend.

We are going to learn the whole story about gluten, grains, and their roles in disease. I’ll then give you quantifiable measures for determining how much healthier you are without them. Then it’s all up to you. If you want to be healthy, you will find some level of compliance that works for you.

—

We have all seen pictures or videos of smokers dying from lung cancer yet still smoking through tracheotomy holes in their throats. Amazing, right? How can people do that? Well, gluten consumption is on par with a pack-a-day smoking habit.

Like most things, we need to start at the beginning.

Grains Anatomy

When I say “grain,” I am talking about one of many domesticated grasses in the gramineae family. This includes staples such as wheat, rye, oats, barley, millet, rice, and sorghum. These plants are derivatives or descendants from wild grasses that have been managed and bred for 2,000–5,000 years. All grains have the following anatomy:

Bran:

The bran is the outer covering of a whole, unprocessed grain. It contains vitamins, minerals, and a host of proteins and antinutrients designed to prevent the predation, or eating, of the grain. When you see brown rice, the bran is the flakey outer covering of the rice.

Endosperm:

The endosperm is mainly starch with a bit of protein. This is the energy supply of a growing grain embryo. When you see white rice, this is the endosperm with bran and germ removed.

Germ:

The germ is the actual reproductive portion of the grain. This is where the embryo resides.

In the wild, the cereal grain is distributed by the wind, and when conditions are right, the germ (embryo) begins the process of growth using the endosperm for energy. It may come as a surprise, but plants are not benign, altruistic organisms just waiting to send their next generation of young into our mouths in the form of sushi rice or French bread. Grains, like all critters on this planet, face the challenge of surviving long enough to reproduce. This is particularly problematic for grains in that their most nutrient-dense portion (the part we eat) happens to be the reproductive structure.

Sidebar: Oats, Quinoa, and False Friends

Hey Robb, I appreciate your concern, but my dietician told me Oats are gluten-free, so no need to worry about my morning bowl of oatmeal? Yep, I love oatmeal too, but it contains similar proteins to gluten. Cereal grains tend to have proteins that are high in the amino acid proline. These prolamines (proline rich proteins) are tough to digest, and thus remain intact despite the best efforts of the digestive process to break them down. The result is gut irritation, increased systemic inflammation, and the potential for autoimmune disease.

Corn has a similar prolamine called zein. Now you can heed or disregard this information as you please, but grains are a significant problem for most people. Upon removal of these grains, you will notice that you feel better. With reintroduction of grains…well, you feel worse. Keep in mind this inflammation is also a factor in losing weight and looking good, so don’t dismiss this if your primary goal is a tight tush. What I’m asking you to do is take 30 days and eat more fruits and veggies instead of the grains. See how you do. Not so hard, right? And just to head you off at the pass, let’s tackle two other grain related topics: “Whole grains” and Quinoa.

When we factor in their anti-nutrient properties, and potential to wreck havoc on our GI tract, grains are not a sound decision for health or longevity. For the purposes of our discussion, consider dairy and legumes in the same category.

[Note from Tim: Many of you know that I consume some legumes and beans. Normal cooking will reduce anti-nutrients in both, but, when possible, I also soak them overnight beforehand in water with a tablespoon of baking soda. Soaking for 24 hours at room temperature has been shown to remove 66% of the trypsin (protease) inhibitor activity in mung bean, 93% in lentil (this is what I eat most often), 59% in chickpea, and 100% in broad bean. Remember also to distinguish "in vitro" (e.g. red blood cells in a petri dish) vs. "in vivo" (e.g. after normal digestion) studies.]

Quinoa pops up frequently and the refrain goes like this, “Robb! Have you tried this stuff Quinoa (the pronunciation varies depending on how big a hippy you are). It’s NOT a grain! It’s fine, right?”

Well, you’ve likely heard the expression, “If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…” Quinoa is botanically not a grain, but because it has evolved in a similar biological niche, Quinoa has similar properties to grains, including chemical defense systems that irritate the gut. In the case of Quinoa, it contains soap-like molecules called saponins. Unlike gluten, which attaches to a carrier molecule in the intestines, saponins simply punch holes in the membranes of the microvilli cells. Yes, that’s bad. Saponins are so irritating to the immune system that they are used in vaccine research to help the body mount a powerful immune response. The bottom line is if you think grains or grain-like items like Quinoa are healthy or benign, you are not considering the full picture.

One for Me and One for You

Some plants, like blueberries or similar fruits, have evolved a strategy of “give a little to get a little.” Critters (us included) eat these fruits, then pass the seeds in a convenient, warm fertilized package that all but guarantees the next generation. Sewage systems aside, this is a reasonable trade off. The critter that eats the blueberries gets a little nutrition in exchange for spreading the blueberry seeds for subsequent generations of blueberries.

Other plants take a different approach and try to dissuade all predation by shrouding themselves in nasty substances that are either irritants or outright poisons. Consider poison oak or poison ivy. These plants have developed chemical warfare capabilities and use oils that have a tendency to work their way through the skin of animals that come in contact with the leaves. This oil sets off an alarm that irritates the immune system. Lymphocytes and other white blood cells attack the oil and in the process release pro-inflammatory chemicals that lead to a rash. Keep this idea in mind as we talk about grains, as it will help you to wrap your mind around what is happening when we eat this “staple” food.

If we compare grains to the strategies listed above, “give a little, get a little,” like the blueberry, or “bugger off,” like the poison oak, we see that grains are much more like poison oak. If a critter eats a grain, that’s it for the grain. That does not mean that the grain goes down without a fight! Grains are remarkably well equipped for chemical warfare.

Lectins:

Grains contain a variety of proteins, some of which are called lectins (not to be confused with the hormone leptin). In simple terms, lectins stick to specific molecules and thus play “recognition” roles in biological systems.

For our purposes, we will look at wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), which is one of the nastier lectins, but also one of the better studied. Keep in mind, WGA (or similar molecules) are found in all grains, but it’s my opinion (and that of many other researchers) that wheat, rye, and barley, which are the gluten-containing grains, are likely the worst of the bunch with regard to health. Millet is similar to oats, in that it contains a protein only a few amino acids different from gliadin (the main problem in gluten), and it is therefore problematic for digestion. Be careful with “gluten-free” snack foods that seem too good to be true, millet-based or otherwise. Corn and rice can also be problematic, but they are safer if consumed infrequently (we will look at this later). WGA and similar lectins are problematic for several reasons:

1. Lectins are not broken down in the normal digestive process. This leaves large, intact proteins in the gut. If you recall, most proteins are broken down in the digestive process, but the structure of some grain proteins makes them very difficult to digest (for the geeks: these proteins are high in the amino acid proline). Grains also contain protease inhibitors (dairy and some other foods also contain these), which further block the digestion of dangerous lectins. This lack of adequate protein digestion leads to serious problems, as you will see.

2. The lectins attach to receptors in the intestinal lumen and are transported intact through the intestinal lining. Remember how amino acids and sugars are transported out of the intestines during digestion? Certain lectins “fool” transport molecules in an effort to gain entry into our bodies intact.

3. These large, intact protein molecules are easily mistaken by the body as foreign invaders like bacteria, viruses, or parasites. It’s perhaps unpleasant to think about, but the intestines are not the nicest place to hang out. This area is a major source of infection by bacteria and viruses, and the immune system lies primed, waiting to pounce on any invading pathogen. Not only does WGA enter the system intact, it damages the intestinal lining, allowing other proteins to enter the system. Why is this a problem? Our immune system mounts an attack on these foreign proteins and makes antibodies against them. These antibodies are very specific to the shapes of these foreign proteins. Unfortunately, these proteins also tend to look like proteins in our body.

Brother from a Different Mother—Molecular Mimicry

Proteins are made of molecules called amino acids (AA). Let’s imagine for a minute these amino acids are represented by Legos, with different shapes and colors denoting different amino acids. Imagine a string of Legos with a specific sequence; let’s say its five to ten Legos long. Now imagine another, identical set of Legos attached on top of many more Legos. The top five to ten of the long piece is identical to the short piece.

Let’s assume the short piece is WGA and the long piece is a protein in the beta cells of your pancreas where insulin is made. If the WGA is attacked by the immune system and an antibody is made against it (because the body thinks WGA is a bacteria or virus), that antibody will not only attach to WGA, it can also attach to the protein in your pancreas. When that WGA antibody attaches to your pancreas, it precipitates a wholesale immune response—attacking that tissue. Your pancreas is damaged, or destroyed, and you become type 1 diabetic. If that protein happened to be in the myelin sheath of your brain, you would develop multiple sclerosis.

Celiac:

Most people are familiar with a condition called celiac, which is an autoimmune disease caused by gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and millet. It is clearly understood that celiac is an autoimmune disease caused by lectins. It is also clear that other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Sjögren’s, multiple sclerosis, and a host of other autoimmune conditions occur at much higher rates in celiac patients. However, this association, for whatever reason, was largely dismissed as an anomaly until researchers recently made the connection between the development of celiac and other autoimmune diseases.

We now understood that WGA and other lectins have a significant effect on the enzyme transglutaminase (TG). Transglutaminase is an enzyme that modifies every protein we make in our body. How many proteins does TG modify folks? That’s right, all of them. Heart, brain, kidney, reproductive organs—all of them. So, if lectins can cause problems with TG, and if TG modifies every protein in our body, how many things can lectins cause problems with? I hope this is obvious—lectins can and do affect every organ system. Reproductive issues, vitiligo (a skin condition where the individual loses pigmentation in the skin) Huntington’s, narcolepsy—we have found literally hundreds of conditions in which lectins appear to be the causative factor. Not only do we have science to support this, we have observed clinical resolution of these conditions upon the removal of grains, legumes, and dairy. I hate to do this to you, but we have to go back into the intestines.

Really? Digestion? Again?

When food is emptied from the stomach into the small intestines, it is mixed with bile salts that are produced in the liver and stored in the gall bladder. Remember, bile salts are much like soap and are critical for our digestion and absorption of fats. In addition to bile from the gall bladder, the pancreas releases digestive enzymes that are critical to digestion. And lest you forget, much of the digestive process happens at the tiny structures in our intestines—the villi and microvilli. Now let’s see how lectins interact with the intestinal lining to produce autoimmunity.

Lectins such as WGA bind to a receptor in the microvilli, allowing WGA to be transported into the body. This is the mechanism of the autoimmune cascade I described above. If the gut wall (microvilli) becomes damaged, the entire contents of the intestines can now make its way into your system. Yes, that’s as bad as it sounds. You are not only in a position to create antibodies against WGA, which leads to autoimmunity, but you now have the potential to develop multiple allergies due to a permeable gut lining and inadequately digested food. This is how you can develop allergies to chicken, beef, apples, or other normally benign foods.

Additionally, if your gut is damaged, you expose yourself to a host of chemicals that would normally remain in the intestines. This can lead to conditions such as multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome, which is regarded more as a psychiatric problem than legitimate medical condition.

Let me be crystal clear about this: Anything that damages the gut lining (including bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections, as well as alcohol, grains, legumes, and dairy) can predispose one to autoimmunity, multiple chemical sensitivities, and allergies to otherwise benign foods.

As my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach says, “This no opinion is, this fact is.”

“If the gut wall (microvilli) becomes damaged, the entire contents of the intestines can now make its way into your system.” [Note from Tim: this is where the "feces in the bloodstream" post title comes from]

Full of Bile

While this digestive disaster is taking place, there are several other problems brewing. As you recall, the function of the gall bladder is to release bile salts into a meal as it is emptied into the duodenum from the stomach. When the intestinal wall is damaged, the chemical messenger, cholecystokinin (CCK), is not released. CCK usually sends the “on” switch to the gall bladder and the secretion of pancreatic digestive enzymes. When this signal is blocked, we do not properly digest our foods, particularly fat and protein. The lack of bile release allows cholesterol crystals to form in the gall bladder, which leads to gall stones. The standard medical practice of removing the gall bladder is effectively killing the “canary in the coal mine.” Gall stones are a symptom of a problem, an alarm. Instead of treating the cause (remove grains) we cut out the gall bladder. People who have had gall bladder removal are almost certainly undiagnosed celiacs and likely have a number of other progressive diseases. In my experience, these individuals are plagued with digestive problems, culminating in dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing.

Achtung!
The disruption of CCK and related hormones (PYY, adiponectin) in the signaling cascade of digestion is a really big deal. Not only is the digestive process severely damaged, much of our satiety signaling is taken offline as well. We cannot properly digest our food, we are always “hungry,” and the very food we crave, refined grains and sugary junk, happens to be the cause of the problem.

It Gets Better
Another piece of the chemical defense system used against us by grains is a group of enzymes called protease inhibitors. Protease inhibitors prevent the breakdown of proteins. This means that when you consume grains you do not effectively digest the protein in your meal. Protease inhibitors also stymie the digestion of lectins such as WGA, making these already difficult-to-digest items virtually indestructible. This leaves more large proteins in the intestinal contents, which increases our likelihood of developing autoimmunity, allergies, or chemical sensitivities.

Osteoporotic Much?
If you do not have a bellyache thinking about grains by now, let’s look at one more player: antinutrients such as phytates. Phytates are important for seeds and grains because they tightly bind to metal ions (like magnesium, zinc, iron, calcium, and copper), which are crucial for the growth and development of the grain. If the metal ions are not tightly bound by the phytates, the process of germination can happen prematurely and this can spell disaster for the grain.

When we consume grains, the phytates are still active and powerfully bind to calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron. This means the calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron are unavailable for absorption. Because of the action of antinutrients such as phytates combined with the gut damaging characteristics of lectins and protease inhibitors, our Neolithic ancestors lost an average of six inches in height vs. our Paleolithic ancestors due to the Neolithic diet of grains and legumes. Are you concerned about osteoporosis or iron deficiency anemia? Do you suffer from fatigue or heart problems that might be caused by magnesium deficiency? Have you diligently consumed a “smart” diet of whole grains, legumes, and low-fat dairy as per the recommendations of your dietician and doctor? Do you see how ridiculous that suggestion is in light of what you now know about grains, legumes, and dairy?

Thank You Sir, May I Have Another!

Here is a recap of how grains cause malabsorption issues and how that affects our health and well-being:

1. Damage to the gut lining. If the gut is damaged, you do not absorb nutrients. We need healthy villi and microvilli to absorb our nutrients, be they protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, or minerals.

2. Damage to the gall bladder and bile production. If you do not absorb fats and fat soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, K, and other nutrients, you will have problems utilizing any minerals you do absorb, to say nothing of the nutrient deficiencies from inadequate essential fats.

3. Phytates tightly bind to metal ions and make them unavailable for absorption. Analytical chemists actually use purified phytates in experiments where it is necessary to quantify the amounts of metal ions like calcium, zinc, or iron in a sample because the phytates bind to these metals tighter than just about any other molecule. The same thing happens when you eat phytates, and this is not a good thing for bone health or iron status.

4. Open door for autoimmunity and cancer. Once the gut lining is damaged, we are at exceptionally high risk of autoimmune disease, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and several types of cancer, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The pancreas is assailed by grain-induced inflammation due to CCK problems and elevated insulin levels. This inflammation is a potential cause of pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).

Why does all this happen? Because grains are pissed that you want to eat them and they are willing, and able, to fight back.
Here is a short list of the problems associated with leaky gut and the autoimmune response:
• Infertility
• Type 1 diabetes
• Multiple sclerosis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Lupus
• Vitiligo
• Narcolepsy
• Schizophrenia
• Autism
• Depression
• Huntington’s
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Hypothyroidism
• Porphyria

But I’m Not Sick

Some of you, however, may think you have no issues here. You have eaten grains, legumes, and dairy your whole life and are “fine.” Well, maybe. But I suspect that is not the case. I’ll bet that if you completely remove these Neolithic foods from your diet for one month, you will notice a dramatic improvement in how you feel and perform. Why? Because if you are consuming these foods, I’ll wager you have gut irritation and other systemic inflammation issues.

A recent study looking at children with type 1 diabetes (an autoimmune condition) found that a significant number of them had overt gut pathology, i.e., celiac. Some had a positive antibody test for celiac, but a number of kids were negative on both the WGA antibody test (a common blood test for celiac) and on an intestinal biopsy. So doctors would think there was no gluten influence in their condition. Interestingly, however, nearly all the kids showed antibodies in the deep tissues of the microvilli to . . . transglutaminase.

The study authors suspected most of the kids would at some point develop what is commonly described as celiac. What this tells us is gut damage can be fairly benign (few symptoms) but still lead to autoimmunity. Once initiated, autoimmunity can and does progress to other problems. Your doctor or dietician will likely dismiss this information, especially if you are “negative” for any of the standard blood work or lab tests for celiac. They are foolish in this regard, but hey, it’s only your health.

Trust your medical professionals, they always know best. Or, try a simple experiment: Follow a Paleo diet, and assess how you feel and perform. I know, I can hear the MDs now, that it’s “just anecdotal.” If you are going to save your ass you are not likely to get much support in this matter unless you have a forward-thinking and aggressive primary physician.

What is the ultimate gold standard in all this? How do you know for sure you do or do not have an issue with these foods? The answer seems obvious: remove the potentially offending foods! Reintroduce them after thirty to sixty days. See what happens. 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.

Now, I’ll be honest, the reintroduction is for you, not me. If I did a phone consult with you, I’d ask, “How did you do when you had that piece of bread?” I know exactly how you did—I’ve seen this scenario thousands of times, but you are the one who needs convincing. When you reintroduce gluten you will not feel good. Sorry kiddo, it’s just the way it works. Now it’s up to you to decide if health and a long life are worth forgoing some of these foods more often than not.

Does all this seem hard to believe? Well, remember how I described the effects of poison oak on your skin? It’s a similar deal here with gut irritation and lectin exposure. If you want to get the full power of this program, you need to actually give it a shot. Worst-case scenario: You spend a month without some foods you like. Best-case scenario: You discover you are able to live healthier and better than you ever thought possible.

But I Like Bread and Pasta!

Yes, I like that stuff too, but they make me sick. I suspect it makes you sick, as well. Not only do grains make you sick by raising insulin levels, messing up your fatty acid ratios (n-3/n-6), and irritating your gut, but they are also addictive. Grains, particularly the gluten-containing grains, contain molecules that fit into the opiate receptors in our brain. You know, the same receptors that work with heroin, morphine, and Vicodin? Most people can take or leave stuff like corn tortillas and rice. Suggest that people should perhaps forgo bread and pasta for their health and they will bury a butter knife in your forehead before you can say “whole wheat!” Sorry folks, I don’t make these rules, I just have the lovely task of educating you about them.

Why I had to focus on gluten-free living, exercise, and trying to get you healthy, I will never know. I should have just peddled hookers, cocaine, and pastries! So much easier.

Instead, here’s a one week food plan. There are hundreds of great options, but this is a simple menu to get you started:

Week 1

Monday
BREAKFAST: 2–4 poached eggs, almonds, small piece fruit or berries
LUNCH: Chicken fajita salad
SNACK: 2 oz chicken, apple, few avocado slices
DINNER: Grilled salmon, roasted green beans, side salad

Tuesday
BREAKFAST: Leftover salmon, walnuts
LUNCH: Lettuce, tomato, onion, and condiments of your choice over 1–2 burger patties, orange, almonds
SNACK: Jerky, macadamia nuts
DINNER: Rotisserie chicken, steamed broccoli, side salad

Wednesday
BREAKFAST: Leftover chicken w/salsa, ½ avocado
LUNCH: Tuna and cabbage salad
SNACK: Remainder of tuna and cabbage salad
DINNER: Crock-Pot pork loin, tomato sauce, zucchini, chopped cauliflower, basil. Make a large portion, leftovers will be used for several meals!

Thursday
BREAKFAST: Slice of ham, 2–3 scrambled eggs, fruit
LUNCH: Leftover pork loin
SNACK: 2 hard-boiled eggs, almonds
DINNER: Stir-fry beef salad. Serve over bed of greens with balsamic vinegar

Friday
BREAKFAST: Sausage stir-fry breakfast
LUNCH: Easy ceviche
SNACK: 2 oz chicken, apple
DINNER: Spaghetti squash (Note from Tim: this is delicious) or kelp-noodle spaghetti: cook either choice with marinara sauce, ground meat, olive oil

Saturday
BREAKFAST: Chicken apple hash
LUNCH: 5–6 oz deli turkey, ½ lb steamed broccoli, drizzle with olive oil
SNACK: 2–3 oz turkey, carrot sticks, almonds
DINNER: Indian-style coleslaw, leftover pork loin, side salad with olive oil

Sunday
BREAKFAST: Western omelet, sweet potato hash
LUNCH: Lamb patties, tomato, lettuce, strawberries
SNACK: Turkey, avocado
DINNER: Halibut, roasted asparagus, berries with balsamic vinegar

For full 30-day meal plans, recipes, and more, this is the resource.

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Afterword: Holy religious war, Batman! Hundreds of strong comments below, including a few very smart contributions from MDs, nurses, etc.. Robb has also answered some of the most common questions in the comments.

Posted on September 19th, 2010

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1,206 Comments

  • Patrik — September 19th, 2010, 4:42 pm

    Great to see Robb getting the recognition he deserves! Cheers to that!

    Reply

  • Larry — September 19th, 2010, 4:47 pm

    I very well written article without being too ‘demanding’. QUICK suggestion would be to put some kind of indication of the sample diet of a calorie/weight classification that could fit into. The difference between a 150lbs and 300lbs man switching over to such a diet is the difference between annoyance and homicide.

    Also, just a weird personal note. I gave up breads, pastas, dairy, soda, and alcoholic last year. Combined with some decent diet and supplements, lost 40lbs over 4 months. Odd thing…while my health got better, my allergies got WORSE. I think I ‘cleaned out’ my system to good…now my body absorption is better then it was, both for good and bad :) . Tis life… Later!

    Reply

    • Kim — December 15th, 2010, 11:44 pm

      I have heard of people’s allergies getting worse after losing weight…a possible reason I’ve heard is that some of those harmful chemicals are stored in your body fat, and as you begin to use up that fat for energy it causes those chemicals and toxins to be released. I wonder if they would fully resolve once your BMI was totally normal and your weight stabilized?

      Reply

      • Jean — August 13th, 2012, 9:02 pm

        I like what I have been reading but I see no reference to potatoes in your daily eating plan. You don;t mention them in the text.

        Reply

    • Dana — February 17th, 2011, 5:42 pm

      The best thing you could do for yourself if you’re overweight is get over the idea that calorie intake has anything to do with it. If you’re already eating healthy–and I mean really healthy, not USDA- or PETA-healthy–then there might be a few pounds’ worth of difference with variations in caloric intake, but you’re not going to balloon up to 500 pounds on a 3000-calorie diet consisting of meat, eggs, cream, cheese, butter, a handful of nuts and a couple salads a day. Sorry.

      Eat for hormones and to avoid toxins and the rest should fall into place.

      Reply

    • genie — April 20th, 2011, 8:29 pm

      I did the same, now need hips replacements…LIFE

      Reply

  • Vinay — September 19th, 2010, 4:48 pm

    Very interesting, have never heard of this before. Hope there will b lots of new tips like this in the new book :)

    Reply

  • Anthony Mychal — September 19th, 2010, 4:49 pm

    So hard to go without oatmeal for me. It’s the only grain I really consume on a regular basis these days, otherwise I couldn’t agree more with this. Great guest-esque blog and thanks to both Robb and Tim.

    Reply

    • Cheryl — March 17th, 2011, 6:35 pm

      HAve you tried Steele Cut Oats. They are healthy and when we had our son on Gluten Free his doctor suggested this.

      Reply

      • Micah — July 27th, 2011, 8:14 pm

        Cheryl, did you read the article? Go read the article again and tell me that steel cut oats are ok.

        Reply

      • Holly — February 6th, 2012, 5:02 pm

        Bobs Mill Steel Cut Oats are Gluten Free.
        Expensive but Gluten Free
        I guess they work with dedicated farms and test regularly.

        Reply

        • EnglishRose — July 24th, 2012, 10:20 am

          Oats are still carbs which we could do without, ideally. (although heaps better than a large plate of chips followed by ice cream).

        • Morgan — December 14th, 2012, 1:17 pm

          if you read the article, it is clear that gluten is not the only gut irritant in grains. oats no more want you to eat them than wheat does, and they fight back. any oats are gluten-free. doesn’t make them good for you (according the article).

  • Marcel — September 19th, 2010, 4:50 pm

    Hey Tim,

    what if your following a vegetarian diet? Since you can not eat meat, is there anything to substitute for?

    gruß

    marcel

    Reply

    • Marcel — December 8th, 2010, 9:14 am

      You should eat meat. Lean meats. If you can not then this diet is probably not for you

      Reply

    • McAnon — October 20th, 2011, 8:04 pm

      Would be very difficult on a vegan diet, and just monotonous on a vegetarian diet but possible – eat lots of coconut oil for extra fats/cooking oil. Avoid soy & tofu as in addition to being a legume seed long term tofu consumption has been known to cause brain shrinkage and cognitive decline (at least in the middle-aged population that was studied by Honolulu researchers)

      For protein, eggs are your friend and so is cheese/dairy if you aren’t lactose intolerant or allergic to the proteins (Wolf is against dairy but some paleo people think it’s fine as long as you can handle the lactose & proteins)

      If you’re a vegan you’ll have to eat foods that are too inflammatory in regards to omega 3:6 ratio profile / have too many anti-nutrients.
      As long as you don’t have any disease that’s related to or worsened by chronic inflammation (i.e. heart disease, cancer, alzheimer’s, allergies), and as long as you have a ton of money to spend on Omega-3 krill oil supplementation you might have a chance at being vegan & paleo.

      You could also just eat tofu, hope it doesn’t mess up your thyroid too much, ignore the lowered sex steroid hormones in your blood caused by weaker, non-steroidal (non-cholestrol based) phytoestrogens forcing your body to lower concentrations of all sex hormones to keep equilibrium. Even then, you’d have that neurological degeneration problem but hey whatever as long as you’re doing it for the cause.

      I was a vegan for a very short time (before health issues made it clear I couldn’t do it long-term). I later realized the three main arguments for veganism are flawed. If you read enough about paleo you’ll know why the “plant-based diets are healthier” argument is false. As for the “good for the environment” argument, that’s only true when compared to industrial feedlot farming where cattle are feed subsidized (but toxic and soil-depleting) grains. Even the ehtical argument is flawed, since it’s impossible to use both a individual rights model and collective rights/harm reduction model when looking at animals* but that’s what vegans do which is hypocritical (even more so than “ethical” vegetarians who eat industrial animal by-products). If you want more info, read:
      Meat: A Benign Extravagance
      and Lierre Keith’s Vegetarian Myth (not very well written but has some good points)

      *for example: individual rights model is what is used to say Meat Is Murder, but if society followed this to the letter there would be homicide investigations every time someone saw roadkill, and a veggie farmer could be charged with negligent homicide if she accidently killed a rat when harvesting her crops. Ants invading homes could not be killed despite tresspassing since it would be the equivalent of killing a toddle who wandered into your yard. And what about situations like deer overpopulations that can threaten entire forests from starving deers eating all the baby sapling trees in desperation? (This has already happened before on some forested islands – the deer turned them into deserts).
      The other model that makes more sense is a collective rights/harm reduction model. Under this model you not only could kill and eat the over-populated deer, but doing so would be more ethical than not doing so. Unfortunately that goes against the Meat Is Murder vegan/vegetarian credo so veg*ns will pick and choose which ethical model is more convenient for them – this makes them hypocrites, though most don’t do this consciously, they just haven’t given this much thought

      Reply

      • Lynn Ertell — March 30th, 2012, 3:15 pm

        Cardiologist William Davis has empirically confirmed much of the research presented in the above article, as documented in his book “Wheat Belly”. Admittedly, even Davis is not quite as “radical” as Robb Wolf and the Paleos. What I find most stunning about all this (the elephant in the kitchen still waiting to be recognized) is its implications for global agribusiness (Cargill, W.R. Grace, Monsanto), industrial agriculture as we have known it and even civilization itself. The implications of this science are not just a matter of diet, personal health or lifestyle. It will topple cornerstones and pillars of our entire way of life.

        Reply

        • cara — December 4th, 2012, 4:55 pm

          can you please elaborate?

        • Phil — February 18th, 2013, 12:41 am

          not true Cargil, Monsanto and the like would thrive in this new system since they are heavily involved in plant grain development which is used to feed animals. Sure he says that you should eat meat that was range fed but the fact of the matter is you couldn’t produce enough meat to meet demand through range feeding and while it may be slightly better for you to eat range fed beef its still a heck of a lot better for you to eat grain fed beef (tastier too) than eat a high carbohydrate diet.

      • Jean-Marc — February 13th, 2013, 4:12 am

        Hi,

        Can you provide a link to the controlled studies that shows a link between tofu and brain degeneration + thyroid impairment?

        kind regards,

        Jean-Marc

        Reply

    • Marilyn — June 2nd, 2012, 10:55 am

      That’s my question too. I cannot eat meat and fish. It’s not so much an ethical thing, it’s that animal flesh has the same appeal as eating my own arm. Fleisch ist Fleisch. But who wants to eat beans all the time?

      Reply

  • David Walsh — September 19th, 2010, 4:54 pm

    “At least 3 million Americans, or about 1 in 133 people have celiac disease, but only 1-in-4,700 is ever diagnosed.” In other words, these people just accept “feeling horrible” as the norm. If you’re running to the bathroom before you finish that slice of pizza, you might have a gluten issue.

    Eliminating gluten (and with it, almost all) honestly changed my life and health. There’s this quote (from Anthony Robbins, I think): “Nothing tastes as good, as fit and healthy feels.” Amen brother.

    Glad to see you taking this on Tim/Robb. Smart post, and the world needs to hear more of it.

    Reply

  • David Walsh — September 19th, 2010, 4:56 pm

    Err, edit to previous comment:
    “Eliminating gluten (and with it, almost all carbs) …”

    Reply

  • Craig Wilson — September 19th, 2010, 4:57 pm

    Great example of an earlier post you did about writing great headlines to get attention. “How to keep feces out of your bloodstream” has to be right up there. Got my attention, thats for sure.

    Reply

  • Simon — September 19th, 2010, 5:00 pm

    Great post Tim. I think you throwing your hat into the ring of the Paleo community is going to see the Paleo lifestyle go stratospheric. Looking forward to seeing how this pans out and what else your going to include in the new book.

    Reply

  • Riley Cabot — September 19th, 2010, 5:01 pm

    I am thankful to have a General Practitioner as my Primary Physician who was about to spot these issues and fully support me in improving my diet.

    It is a difficult change sometimes, but at least now I’m able to consider my trade offs with full and accurate knowledge. i.e. “Do I want to eat pizza with my friends and not feel so good for a few days or do I want to just have a salad and feel great?”

    Reply

  • Jimmy — September 19th, 2010, 5:02 pm

    So what should a person do if they are vegan or vegetarian?

    Reply

    • Dana — February 17th, 2011, 5:47 pm

      If you’re vegetarian, get your starches from tubers, not from grains. If you’re starch-intolerant, though, it’s time to reconsider animal foods. You should not be vegan at all. Human beings are poor converters of beta carotene, vitamin D2 and vitamin K1; quite aside from the protein question, shortages of A, D3, and K2 are causing serious health problems in our population. You can only get A and D3 from animal sources. You can get K2 from natto, but that gets into the issue of soy consumption. You’re a guy, do you really want all that estrogen?

      (I’ve heard it said that soy doesn’t contain enough estrogen to make any difference in the body. Bullhockey. I used to drink Silk soymilk to relieve menstrual cramps.)

      Reply

      • Karanime — June 13th, 2011, 3:19 pm

        For the soy thing specifically, you should read this: http://zenhabits.net/soy/

        Also I repeatedly hear from vegans and raw foodists that they feel better than ever after going vegan. So far, none of them have had any health problems.

        I’m not advocating either side. I’m not sure which is correct, myself, but I plan on testing both sides to the best of my ability before I make any assertions.

        /<3

        Reply

      • McAnon — October 20th, 2011, 8:21 pm

        Phytoestrogens work by making your body think you have too much sex hormones in you (despite the phytoestrogens being weaker forms of estrogen than human-made, cholestrol/steroid-based estrogen). Your body reacts by increasing the amount of SHBG – Sex Hormone Binding Globulin. Unfortunately this protein doesn’t discriminate between estrogen, phytoestrogen, testosterone or progesterone and grabs all of them to go to the liver for destruction. This causes hormonal imbalances and infertility (too much estrogen kills sperm cells and messes with the ovulation cycle). End result: You don’t breed. You don’t pass whatever genes allowed you to eat that soy plant’s offspring without gagging from the bitterness and toxic pesticides (YOU being a pest to the plant).

        Natural selection at work, baby!

        Reply

  • Jimmy — September 19th, 2010, 5:06 pm

    And also, meat is bad for you too, so then what does one eat if everything is bad for you? Oh wait…what we do do is not live forever like we’re supposed to. Everything has a give and take…EVERYTHING. This book is not new information and sounds like a pointless read.

    Reply

    • Marcus Riedner — November 4th, 2010, 2:21 pm

      Hey Jimmy,

      From the research and reading I’ve been doing meat and animal fats are not bad for you, nor is cholesterol. The mainline nutritional stance that meat is bad comes out of a lot of very bad science that has been held on too since the early 60s.

      I know that people who take up a vegetarian and vegan life style do so for very personal reasons, but they are both very dangerous if you are not carefully monitoring your food and nutritional intake. In fact I would go as far as saying that vegan lifestyles are as dangerous as eating high sugar and refined food diets.

      Here are some books that changed my mind on eating and the research around nutrition:

      Good Calories, Bad Calories by Garry Taubes
      The Great Cholesterol Con by Dr. Malcom Kendrick
      The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith

      Reply

      • Melody — January 25th, 2011, 7:49 pm

        There is a really good book “the Healing Power of Minerals, Special Nutrients, and Trace Elements” by Paul Berger that is a fascinating and very informative read. It will change what you thought you knew about nutrition more specifically the recent introduction of Vegetarianism. Chapter 27 provides an insightful and more appropriate classification for this type of diet “Therapeutic Diets”. Yes they can be beneficial for certain individuals on a short term basis but are not “sustainable diets”. Vegetarianism although can create beneficial healing in the beginning will eventually causes multiple deficiencies. I used to be in this situation, suffered from anemia, depression, anxiety, fatigue. It really opened my eyes to the importance of meat in my diet and made a substantial impact on my health. I now eat only organic, free range grass-fed animal products and feel so much better. It is well worth the read if you have the time.

        Reply

      • Anna — May 25th, 2011, 7:14 pm

        Marcus Riedner,
        Regarding your comment on Nov 4, 2010: While I agree that meat is not bad for you, I have to say that too much protein is bad for your kidneys. I am a kidney transplant recipient and I was warned against having a lot of protein in a day. Although I don’t know all the science behind it, I know that too much protein puts a strain on the kidneys. For example, the menu listed on this site has a meal of 1-2 burger patties. Two patties of meat is too much protein and is dangerous for your kidneys.

        While I think the idea of eliminating grains/gluten is interesting and worth considering, it can’t be substituted with a diet that hurts other systems.

        Reply

        • Jennifer — July 24th, 2012, 2:18 pm

          I have kidney issues myself. I have found though that changing to the paleo diet hasn’t been a problem. I have had issues in the past with protein shakes etc when exercising. Everyone would tell me to make sure to drink a protein shake after working out. It would never fail that I’d do this for a few weeks and end up in the ER with a kidney infection. It took me several times of this happening to make the connection–but haven’t had problems in the 3 months I’ve been doing the Paleo/primal eating. I think part of it is because I’m not eating the fast burning carbs in the grains that I don’t feel as hungry so I end up eating even less protein than I was before. It’s a strange science this paleo world–but I can tell you without a doubt that I am fuller longer on less food when I don’t eat the grains with the meal–and I don’t have the sugar drops in mid-morning and mid-afternoon. As a matter of fact, 2-3 eggs in the morning will often keep me full until well into the afternoon.
          If you have kidney disease, you will need to monitor your body very closely as you transition into the lifestyle, but ultimately, it has improved my health over all and I haven’t had any problem with the high protein diet and my kidneys.

  • Riley Cabot — September 19th, 2010, 5:06 pm

    Oh, and not to get verbose, but I think it is also very important to note that having Candida can make changing over to this sort of eating much more unpleasant than normal. Most people do have some level of Candida, don’t know it, and could possibly be turned off by the “do this and you will feel better challenge,” if they spend days 5-14 feeling even worse because there body is suddenly processing the backlash and subsequent death of a massive fungal infection.

    Reply

    • Ashley Kaye — March 31st, 2011, 12:32 pm

      @Riley Cabot Tell me about it!! My goal was to go from semi-paleo to full blown – cutting out sugars and cheese (my last hang ups). My husband decided to make beer that night and the effect was overwhelming! I was so on edge I felt as if I had to be in a room by myself. I didn’t sleep for two nights.
      I did a little research. Although I am in no way in any position to be giving out advice I will tell you what I did that seemed to work. I made a tea out of golden seal, licorice root and cinnamon (would have added kudzu root if I had had it) and I drank aloe juice every day and this seemed to treat the problem. My intense cravings for dairy and sugar are no more than the knowledge that that stuff tastes good.
      Remember when in Good Calories Bad Calories they mention the Assyrian Kings fattening their wives up with the sorghum and milk mixture? Just like a milkshake. No more!

      Reply

  • Nestor — September 19th, 2010, 5:07 pm

    Alas, but my flatmate has the ritual of making Venezuelan Arepas every saturday and sharing them so I am unable to follow this diet as strictly as it requires.

    Nobody said being an omnivore was going to be plain sailing!

    Reply

    • Alicia Yibirin — March 21st, 2011, 10:13 am

      So funny, I was also thinking about how to fit my weekly, Sunday arepa breakfast into this diet :) . Reduce the damage, ask for a very thing arepa, and enjoy mostly the crust. Good luck!

      Reply

  • Michael — September 19th, 2010, 5:11 pm

    I’m always averse to the over-the top language in a lot of these type of pieces (yes, it gets attention, but it also makes the writer look less reasonable and more fanatical), and this is no exception: “killing you,” “digestive disaster,” and the concept of this reaction as intended by nature all divert from the good stuff here. Even the title kind of misrepresents things (you’ll lose weight just about any time you cut out a significant group of foods, whether they were good or bad for you).

    Also, there’s the danger that much of this is reverse-engineered from the initial premise of eating only what our Paleolithic ancestors ate. This can create false hypotheses and incorrect assumptions/diagnoses.

    That said, everyone should at least try living without grains for a reasonable length of time (give it 30-60 days) and see if they don’t feel better. I’m in total agreement that often we don’t know we’re doing something our body isn’t tolerating – and many of us just accept that we’ll feel bad – and in that spirit we should be open to making changes just like this.

    Don’t consider it a sacrifice, consider it a choice.

    Reply

    • Ben — October 30th, 2010, 7:18 pm

      IMHO the “over the top” language makes the articles more entertaining to read. When it’s done in a humorous way it makes the writer come off as more down to earth and normal, not a fanatic.

      Reply

      • Karanime — June 13th, 2011, 3:26 pm

        Only if you agree with the author. This type of language is a turn-off to some “on the fence” people who are already wary of listening to polarized fanatics.

        /<3

        Reply

    • Kelly — December 15th, 2010, 5:40 pm

      You said it…

      I felt uncomfortable reading this article-
      I realized that it was because of the tactics it uses- it wants me to be paranoid about what I eat… that is not the way to go about it!

      Reply

      • Judy — February 14th, 2011, 9:07 am

        I agree with Kelly’s comment. For the record, I am gluten free and I always try to suggest going gluten/grain free to others who are having digestive health issues. However, I am not pushy about it, because that turns people off.
        There is a lot of good information in this article if one sifts through the “over the top” scare tactics. Unfortunately, this is one article I will not forward to friends or family due to the disgusting and misleading title.

        Reply

      • Truth — August 4th, 2011, 12:51 pm

        The truth hurts sometimes. It’s not opinion in this matter, it’s science.

        Reply

    • McAnon — October 20th, 2011, 8:32 pm

      I hate to tell you, but a lot of plants really are trying to kill you when you eat them or their offspring. Plants can’t run away but they are highly skilled at chemical warfare.* Most of them just suck at it. But some are better at it than others (especially if you’re eating neolithic plants you’ve never had a chance to adapt to).

      *Plants are just good at biochemistry, period. Trees can organize four glucose molecules in so many ways to release as pheromones for communication they have more combinations than there are words in the English language…

      Reply

    • Kate — December 13th, 2011, 4:55 am

      Yes, I’m with you.

      This is a great article, with lots of useful science, and I’d like to forward it to my sceptic mother who has Rheumatoid Arthritis but doesn’t believe going gluten-free can help her because her doctor didn’t say so.

      But I can’t, because I know she’d be put off by the title and the ‘killing you’ hype and stop reading before she even got to the useful stuff.

      Less emotive language would really be more helpful for converting sceptics.

      Reply

  • Mark Combs — September 19th, 2010, 5:12 pm

    Practical ways to keep you *ss from getting fat – I need that, good stuff

    Reply

  • Jimmy — September 19th, 2010, 5:13 pm

    FAST: 2–4 poached eggs = SALMONELLA AND ANTIBIOTICS
    LUNCH: Chicken fajita salad = MORE ANTIBIOTICS AND SALMONELLA
    SNACK: 2 oz chicken = JUST IN CASE YOU DIDN’T GET ENOUGH ANTIBIOTICS TODAY
    DINNER: Grilled salmon = AND A NICE HELPING OF MERCURY AND EVERY OTHER POLLUTANT WE DUMP INTO THE OCEAN.

    I’ll take the gluten thank you.

    Reply

    • Rachel — October 22nd, 2010, 10:35 am

      Buy chicken products that weren’t force-fed antibiotics. Problem solved.

      Reply

    • Daniel — October 28th, 2010, 7:28 am

      Enjoy your gluten/genetically modified organisms with a healthy side of pesticides.

      Reply

    • Mary Z — October 30th, 2010, 8:14 am

      I think Jimmy (the vegetarian) has some good points about the dangers of meat. Not to mention the ethical issues surrounding the abuse of animals for corporate gain and human gluttony. I think gluten poses some real dangers but meat should certainly be a more serious topic on health. Humans are now so advanced in agriculture that we really do not “need” meat. We only think we do because that’s what the “meat industry” wants you to believe. I stopped eating meat when the swine flu virus got in full swing. I have lost 20 pounds of fat and gained a lot more muscle mass. As a vegetarian I now watch my protein intake a lot closer resulting in more intake of good protein. I feel better and I haven’t been sick once. Besides, as a vegetarian, I know I am not contributing to animal abuse which I believe manifests into human disease.

      Reply

      • EAD — December 22nd, 2011, 8:34 pm

        Its funny how people will take the time to read this whole blog and then just dismiss it over a perceived roadblock.

        You can buy meat/poultry that are “free-range” so hormones, antibiotics etc. are not an issue. Salmonella results from undercooking.
        http://www.grasslandbeef.com/StoreFront.bok

        As far as veganism, unless you’re shopping completely organic, there will always be some pesticide/gmo in your diet.

        Reply

    • John — November 2nd, 2010, 8:11 am

      Jimmy-poached eggs-not if they are from my chickens
      chicken-pesticides…not if they are my chickens
      salmon-wild caught from Alaska not farm raised…not high levels of Mercury

      point is you all have a choice and while I agree with your ability to voice your personal opinion…you sound like one of the whiny ones that is negative and not willing to look for a way to make life or nutrition work for you or one of those people that drives a really nice car but eats crappy processed food because its convenient…give me a break

      Mary, the dangers of meat exist if you aren’t willing to take the time to educate yourself and find a credible place to get the “good stuff” from…grass fed beef that is not from a “industrial supplier” for ex…the comment that humans are “now so advanced that we don’t need meat” is ludicrous…advanced not in terms of evolution…we are and will always be omnivores…by design

      Reply

      • Nancy — July 8th, 2012, 1:46 pm

        We really still know very little about nutrition, and every day new evidence seems to come and contradict previous “discoveries”. There are strong arguments to both the Paleo and the vegetarian diets, and the raw food diets as well, if you bother to read enough about all of them and keep an open mind. What I’m seeing in all these posts is like debating the existence of God. We have to accept that a lot is still unknown, but while it’s all very well and good to recommend to eat free-range chicken and ethically raised cattle, these are hard to find, and everyone around the world wants meat, and won’t go to the trouble of finding this elusive ethically-raised meat. Not to mention that raising cattle produces more CO2 pollution than plains, trains and automobiles combined. So, if people want to be vegetarian to feel like they are doing the right thing, let them. I, for one, am happy they are. And if we were all vegetarians, there would be enough space to grow enough food to feed the world (cattle consume more food than people and use up tons of agricultural land that could be used to feed people, and when you don’t have enough to eat, what you should eat isn’t even on your radar). So until we review our policy about how many people can be on the planet at once, eating meat, as good as it might be for us (I personally love the taste), is not sustainable for a planet that will total 9 billion people by 2050. Healthy or not. So please, try to be respectful of people who are trying to eat in a way they find will solve some of the planet’s problems. The Paleo diet isn’t it, as good as it might be for us. But a bit of skepticism and open-mindedness, and acceptance that we don’t know everything might be a good thing, in many other realms than just nutrition, which is certainly one of the sciences that most constantly contradicts itself.

        Reply

      • Emma — September 13th, 2012, 5:23 pm

        Yeah, I’ll just go ahead and tend my chickens from my tiny 5th floor apartment downtown…

        Not sure if you thought about this, but not everyone can afford to eat organic free-range grass-fed beef (you might be appalled as to what can qualify for that labeling, btw) as a main dietary staple. That business about being whiny and not putting forth the effort is totally insulting to those of us who legitimately can not afford to eat high-quality meat regularly.

        Reply

    • Joseph — November 11th, 2010, 2:20 pm

      If I eat a Venus Fly-trap salad is that an existential dilemma?

      Reply

    • Kim — December 15th, 2010, 11:47 pm

      If you stick to organic, farm-raised meat that isn’t fed antibiotics, and COOK things well enough you won’t have any problems with anitibiotics or salmonella…

      Reply

    • McAnon — October 20th, 2011, 8:42 pm

      Mercury in fish is neutralized by their own bodies if they have more selenium than mercury – most fish do, including all salmon and tuna.

      Antibiotics (and artificial hormones) in grainfed beef were found under vigorous scientific analysis to not carry over onto their meat, probably because they were detoxified. I read this from the website of a grassfed cattle rancher trying to dispell some myths, so the source is damn well credible. That being said, it costs nutrients to detox all that so CAFO meat = less nutritious, in addition to having a messed up Omega 3:6 profile from grains.

      Salmonella is already rare, but in properly raised animals (i.e. organic) is pretty much non-existant…

      Reply

    • Nick — February 20th, 2012, 12:17 pm

      When you cook eggs you can’t get salmonella, if you were to pull a Hulk Hogan (raw eggs) you just may get salmonella.

      Reply

    • eddie — February 24th, 2012, 9:21 pm

      eat organic…

      Reply

  • Jeff Sutherland — September 19th, 2010, 5:14 pm

    So excited to see two of my favorite health & fitness mentors collaborating. Robb is largely responsible for my repentance/conversion (4 years of vegetarianism).

    Reply

  • Spencer Morris — September 19th, 2010, 5:15 pm

    That meal plan looks delicious! I’m curious how great the difference between gluten and non-gluten (plus non-dairy and etc) has felt for those that have done it.

    Did you have a crazy amount of energy after or did you feel more alive…?

    Reply

  • John — September 19th, 2010, 5:17 pm

    Does anyone know a way to get drunk while following this diet??

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 19th, 2010, 7:52 pm

      Tequila without mixers!

      Reply

    • Schwab — January 16th, 2011, 7:14 pm

      single-malt scotch.

      Reply

    • Sarah — April 24th, 2012, 9:02 pm

      Considering “alcohol” was on the list of things that damage the intestine and can contribute to autoimmunity, I would have to say no. If you can’t cut out all alcohol, then it would be best to go with something not sourced from grain (no beer, whiskey, grain vodka, etc.) My sister who is Celiac can drink wine and hard apple cider because they are fermented fruit and not grain. I would assume any tequila that is 100% agave would also work, but beware of the highly marketed brands that usually contain grain spirits. I hope this helps!

      Reply

  • Steve — September 19th, 2010, 5:18 pm

    Great info, but between all the different nutrition guides out there, I think I’m now only allowed to drink water and chew on some celery… but I’m not allowed to swallow the celery, I have to spit it out. haha.

    Reply

  • Eric — September 19th, 2010, 5:18 pm

    Great article, and definitely some food for thought (pun intended). Thanks, Robb.

    Reply

  • Nicholas Bedros — September 19th, 2010, 5:24 pm

    How well would this work for someone who’s hitting the gym pretty hard? Seems pretty light on carbs and I think that low carb consumption without (cyclical) ketosis sounds like a bad idea for active lifters. It’s not like you’d be knee-deep into ketosis judging from the menu examples. I guess bumping up fruits intake would help?

    Reply

    • PaleoInFB — October 21st, 2010, 11:52 am

      Increase fat intake. Ideally a low-carb, higher fat paleo diet will take you from “sugar burner” to “fat burner”. Much more efficient.

      Reply

    • McAnon — October 20th, 2011, 9:02 pm

      Endurance athletes can wait out the 2-4 week adjustment period and burn fat for fuel as well as they would sugar. But high-intensity weightlifters do need more carbs on heavy lifting days as Type IIb muscle fibers can only ferment sugar. I recommend starchy carbs as that gets turned into glucose (fructose from fruits can’t get into the muscles) you can eat potatoes or sweet potatoes (yams) while these are technically nightshades as long as they aren’t sprouting/turning green they won’t have many natural toxins at all. One person on paleo even found them to be better than white rice (white rice is another option, unless you’re unlucky enough to be allergic or to get a bad reaction)

      Reply

  • Michael K — September 19th, 2010, 5:30 pm

    So glad Robb is getting this exposure. The Paleo Solution is already blowing up the Amazon charts, this should really put it over the edge.

    @Jimmy:
    Antibiotic+hormone-free chicken, and even free-range organic chicken, as well as eggs from such chickens is widely available at grocery stores these days. Salmonella is generally only a problem with CAFO’s that produce 100s of millions of eggs, not smaller organic farms. If you wanna be really badass, you should check out the chicken/eggs at farmer’s markets if there are any in your area. With respect to the mercury in fish, Wikipedia has a good article for you to check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_in_fish — although you are right in being concerned about catastrophic degradation/pollution of the world’s oceans, wild caught salmon still definitely worth eating.

    Reply

  • MsJ777 — September 19th, 2010, 5:36 pm

    Tim, you remember my dad? The one who had the inset on the cover of Powerlifting USA (I had emailed you about an issue w/ your website at that same time) who was the first 65 year old on record to have benched over 550 pounds drug-free? He died of pancreatic cancer on May 30th this year–I believe it was due to grains. I begged him repeatedly to get tested for gluten intolerance, and he never had the chance. I am addressing this issue in my own life–this is just more validation. Thanks for posting.

    Reply

  • Finn — September 19th, 2010, 5:36 pm

    Eliminating all breads and pasts IS good for you, those are not nutrionally dense foods. But the meat and protein in this diet will screw you up in other ways. Raises IGF-1, and if you lookup the AGE levels in animal protein it’s unbelievably high compared to other sources.

    Reply

  • Steve — September 19th, 2010, 5:42 pm

    Good, it seems there’s a general consensus that grains are to be avoided. Humans didn’t evolve eating grains, so it makes perfect sense that there would be health consequences from any newly introduced substances to our diet.

    Reply

  • Benjamin — September 19th, 2010, 5:42 pm

    Robb may have just gone from six fans in a rest home, to seven.

    Reply

  • Jonathan — September 19th, 2010, 5:43 pm

    Great article Tim. The headline and wording are terrific ;) I really appreciate your writing style.
    I will work to cut out grains although oatmeal will be really difficult. The bummer is that I’m becoming vegetarian and now having to cut out grains will be a lot to work on all at once. C’est la vie.
    Anyway, nice piece.

    Reply

  • Robb Wolf — September 19th, 2010, 5:48 pm

    Hey folks, Tim asked me to triage a few questions:

    Larry-
    Depends on goals but in general people need to simply “steer the boat” with protein and round things out with plenty of veggies and good fats. Eating this way lights up satiety signaling so worry about amounts (is generally) unnecessary. If people do not know the difference between a mouth and vacuum cleaner…then we need to tinker!

    Marcel-
    Get as close to this as you can. There are a few camps of veganism that are not fans of grains/legumes. you might look to them for collaborative info. At the least I’d avoid gluten like the plague.

    Jimmy-
    sorry amigo, but meat is NOT the problem:
    http://discovermagazine.com/2004/oct/inuit-paradox

    to each their own but we have also thoroughly addressed the China Study:
    http://www.cathletics.com/articles/proteinDebate.pdf

    So, If you’d like to get blood work done, do paleo as I prescribe for 30-60 days I’ll pay for that blood work and you can then speak from a place of experience instead of opinion. Let me know.

    Michael-
    Spot on. Evolution should be used to formulate questions and access data. We need clinical research to validate or refute these hypotheses. What is continually fascinating however is folks have no problem applying evolutionary biology to everything except humans. Somehow we are a unique snowflake in all of biology.

    Reply

    • Shelley Walters — January 16th, 2011, 11:12 am

      Hi there, interesting post. Last year I battled with shortness of breath, yawing and terrible sinus headached, eventually (after 2 months) I hyperventilated. Turned out the problem was acidity. I cut out dairy and gluten and the problem disappeared.
      My question is regarding pork, are you sure its safe? Forgive me if I am being ignorant but eating an animal that will eat anything (feces included) doesn’t seem like a good idea?
      Would be interested to know your thoughts…

      Reply

    • Karanime — June 13th, 2011, 3:37 pm

      In response to the Inuit link:

      Research has shown that the Inuits live, on average, ten years younger than the population of nearby Canada. They also have a higher rate of cancer. Perhaps their diet is not making them “healthier” than we are.

      http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/diet-myths-the-misinformation-of-barry-groves-and-weston-price.html

      Frankly, this gives us more questions than answers.

      Reply

      • Ian — October 20th, 2011, 8:40 pm

        @Karanime Speaking anecdotally as a Canadian student who has briefly studied the state of First Nations communities in Canada, I believe it is worth noting that many First Nations communities face devastating social issues. Rates of poverty and substance abuse are significantly higher in First Nations’ communities than in other areas of Canada.

        While I am without empirical evidence to back up my suspicion, it is my opinion that a healthy traditional diet may be one step forward in this case, while the debilitating social issues are two steps back.

        Reply

        • WalterB — January 16th, 2013, 7:48 pm

          And the First Nations’ are eating a lot of “white man’s food these days and actually for generations.

    • Isobel — April 19th, 2012, 7:49 am

      The Inuit Paradox doesn’t seem to be a paradox at all. According to these studies – Iburg KM ; Br?nnum-Hansen H ; Bjerregaard P. Health expectancy in Greenland.
      Scand J Public Health. 2001; 29(1):5-12. Choini?re R. Mortality among the Baffin Inuit in the mid-80s.Arctic Med Res. 1992; 51(2):87-93 – the Inuit Greenlanders have pretty much always had the worst longevity statistics in North America.

      Studies on http://www.kenya.za.net/maasai-cycles-of-life.html and http://www.who.int/countries/Ken/en/ show that Maasai warriors of 20 years ago rarely lived past 60 and their current average life expectancy is 45 for women and 42 for men.

      Most of the “science” behind the claims that meat and saturated fats are good for us seems to come from the Weston A. Price Foundation which has done no peer-reviewed studies of its own. If you take WAPF (whose major sponsors are meat and dairy farmers) out of the picture, and all the articles that use them as a source, what actual peer-reviewed studies support your claims?

      Reply

  • Neal Bell — September 19th, 2010, 5:53 pm

    THANK YOU for this post, Tim (and Robb)! What an amazingly thorough breakdown of a pernicious problem. My wife experienced many health issues due to gluten. These experiences – plus inspiration from Four Hour Workweek prompted us to launch a web-based gluten-free recipe service this past May. (URL omitted to respect comment rules)

    The theory behind the business is simple: the easiest way to avoid gluten is to cook at home – and too few people are doing this today!

    We make it simple to cook at home by focusing on easy-to-prepare recipes featuring easy-to-find ingredients. (Nothing exotic…very in-line with many of the Paleo principles). The universe of foods that have never had gluten in them is VAST.

    We assume that plenty of our subscribers have children, so the recipes do not require a lot of prep or cook time, and are kid-friendly. (We have a 10- and a 7-year old who always eat out of the “test kitchen.”)

    THANKS AGAIN, Tim – your work continues to inform and inspire.

    All the best,

    Neal

    Reply

  • Ben — September 19th, 2010, 5:54 pm

    I just slid a pesto lasagna into the oven just moments before reading this but the info is real as I’ve confirmed it before in my own studies. The one-two punch of sugar & bread is really my last known enemy. Thanks for the curveball post and reminder of a goal I abandoned years ago. I expect for some, this will be like quitting smoking or heroin.

    Reply

  • Nick — September 19th, 2010, 5:57 pm

    Hi Tim,

    I’m defiantly waiting for Robb’s book to hit the kindle bookstore. But living 100% gluten free is tricky stuff.

    I also like lentils.. Soaking in water is common. Do you have any references for soaking in baking soda? is vinegar or any other acid enough?

    Reply

  • Anon — September 19th, 2010, 6:04 pm

    I’m not a Fonzie and I don’t think I am cool but I am very grateful for sharing your diet or way of life with us. You have helped us in many ways, keep up that great work.

    Reply

  • Alison — September 19th, 2010, 6:04 pm

    I’m sorry, but your background in nutrition is what? There is a ton of inaccurate nutritional information out there, and you can make any diet plan sound convincing if you try. I’d just caution people to talk to their doctor before taking this at face value, and to greet any nutritional advice with a lot of skepticism.

    (Plus, hello, there’s an enormous body of science showing that going meatless gets the best health results.)

    Reply

    • Melody — January 25th, 2011, 8:02 pm

      Yes there is some good evidence that initially going meatless can have some beneficial results but proven over and over again after 5-10 years most vegetarians begin to have health problems that can become serious because it isn’t a sustainable diet it is a therapeutic diet. I think there are positives to it and some negatives. Each person has to judge data and information and listen to his or her own body.

      Reply

      • Karanime — June 13th, 2011, 3:43 pm

        Yes, most vegetarians become deficient in some nutrients after 5-10 years.

        It’s okay. Humans invented supplements.

        Another option I’ve heard of is eating minuscule amounts of meat (just enough to cover the deficiency) once every week or two weeks or month.

        Again, I am repeatedly told by vegans and vegetarians that they feel much, much better after kicking meat and animal products.

        /<3

        Reply

      • Hacksaw — September 24th, 2011, 10:56 am

        Karanime: Your assertion about the reports from Vegans and vegetarians might be true, but they are likely self selected. That is, you aren’t hearing about those who gave it up, they don’t feel like they had anything to crow about, or they thought they were doing it wrong, and so don’t want to talk about it.

        Reply

      • Sarah — April 24th, 2012, 9:23 pm

        @Karanime In response to the supplements comment, many of the nutrients that long-term vegetarians become deficient in can only be derived from animals. This means that even though it has been extracted and conveniently packaged into an easy-to-swallow pill form, it was still derived from an animal and is technically an animal by-product.

        It doesn’t take a genius to know that the typical meat-intake of people today is excessive, but cutting it completely may not be the answer either. I only eat meat occasionally (every couple of weeks or so), but I still eat it. However, it is important to go for humanely raised and hormone free meat.

        Reply

  • Coach Dawn — September 19th, 2010, 6:05 pm

    This is stuff that I know that I should do, but I don’t want to because I like the stuff that’s bad for me too much…how sad is that?! Each year for Lent I do the Daniel Fast which is basically a vegan diet and no white (flour, rice, bread, potatoes) anything. I always feel better, but I always go back to my old ways…and feel worse for it! Maybe I’ll do better this time.

    Reply

  • Louis Salin — September 19th, 2010, 6:06 pm

    Vegans and vegetarians should skip the bread/pasta. I don’t see what you get in those foods that you can’t get elsewhere, like in a salad. If you really need your starch fix, eat sweet potatoes.

    Reply

    • Jen — May 4th, 2011, 1:04 am

      Regarding bread/pasta, I agree with you, but it’s really difficult as a vegan (not so much as a vegetarian) to increase protein without consuming grains and/or legumes. And even if you do, it’s nearly impossible to do so without a really high carb:protein ratio–so even if you did eat enough veggies to get enough protein in absolute terms (like, enough grams), you’d still be consuming a relatively low percentage of protein in your diet and a high percentage of carbs. Most vegan athletes I know settle for relatively low protein in their diets for this reason; others supplement with vegan protein powders. Many seem to do okay like this (anecdotally, endurance athletes seem to fare a bit better than strength athletes, which makes sense to me) but others struggle with it.

      (I should note that I’m talking about getting enough protein for optimum performance, strength, and possibly body composition, not just the amount needed to stay alive–it’s pretty easy to get the minimal amount of protein needed to not die as a vegan, though obviously there are more complex health issues and deficiencies that have to be dealt with on a case by case basis.)

      Reply

  • Jordan — September 19th, 2010, 6:09 pm

    Wow. Interesting Stuff.

    To clarify, if you cut gluten out completely, but still eat legumes and dairy, will that effect anything? Or do we have to cut those out to be 100% compliant?

    Thanks for the info!

    Reply

  • Eric — September 19th, 2010, 6:11 pm

    @Jimmy

    So you would rather destroy your gut and immune system? Try going to your local farmers market and getting pastured, free-range, antibiotic and hormone-free eggs, pastured 100% grass-fed beef, wild alaskan salmon(very low in heavy metals). These are among some of the healthiest foods you can eat. While you’re there, get some salad greens and some fresh vegetables and fruits. They’ll be the best you ever tasted!

    As Michael Pollan said, “Eat real food.”

    Grains are poison!

    Reply

  • Vik — September 19th, 2010, 6:12 pm

    Tim,

    Thank you for this post. As a cross-fitter, paleo is a huge component of the workout and so far I have resisted incorporating it because #1. I’m a vegetarian/pescatarian and #2. I found your previous post on fat loss so effective.

    How do you reconcile your previous recommendation on “slow-gi” diet that advocates legumes, beans with the paleo diet that basically states that legumes and beans are killing you? Beans/legumes, et. al are a major source of “evil” on every paleo/x-fit diet I have read on and thus, a non-starter for me because there will be very little that I can actually eat.

    As a corollary, how does this paleo research fit in with Asian and Indian diets that are very high in rice/legumes and have a very low percentage of the health ailments that are indicative of high protein western diets?

    As a point of reference, see the recent WSJ.com article on Tony Gonzales and how his longevity in the NFL is directly attributable to his vegan diet.

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 19th, 2010, 7:48 pm

      Hi Vik,

      Thanks for the comment. Please see my note on legumes/beans, which I inserted in the post itself. There are some decent work-arounds, though I also avoid almost all grains, as you know from my previous posts.

      I’ll have two chapters on vegetarian options in the new book (coming soon, I promise), but one thing: those close to Tony Gonzalez actually say he eats chicken on occasion. Eating meat even rarely is very different from no meat at all, but you can get most of what you need from well-sourced eggs and fish.

      Good luck!

      Tim

      Reply

      • JD Mumma, Ami — November 30th, 2010, 2:14 pm

        I appreciate your open mindedness, forward thinking, creative approaches, myth busting and that you prefer: facts over rumors, research over hearsay, science over magical thinking…

        This seems like a great policy… “Cite sources and be constructive when possible.” Tim Ferriss

        I’m curious about your vague citing “on occasion” and even more vague and undefined response “even rarely is very different”.

        Without verifiable sources could this be considered gossip and uncontructive?

        Reply

      • Tim Donaldson — February 7th, 2011, 6:44 pm

        Re; Tony Gonzalez – right there in the magazine he says he drinks protein shakes with Whey. I was flabbergasted that the editors would posit him as a vegan ideal.

        That said, anyone interested in a vegan diet and strength should check out Jon Hinds and Mike Mahler. 2 of the best athletes I’ve even laid eyes on and both longtime vegans. Mahler doesn’t like to describe his diet in great detail but I’ve heard him state on several occasions that he can’t tolerate grains very well.

        Spend the money on wild caught, free range and GRASS FED animal products. Every penny spent today will save you money in healthcare later in life.

        Lastly, factory farms churning out wheat are much less “green” than a pasture filled with goats eating grass. As a society we should try to reduce factory meat in our diet but replacing it with factory grain isn’t any better for the environment and it’s obviously (well, too me anyways) worse for our health.

        Reply

      • Amy — May 11th, 2011, 8:36 pm

        Hey Tim,
        How does this post reconcile to the cheat day in the SCD? Wouldn’t feel much like a cheat day without eating some of the bad stuff … including grains …

        Reply

    • Gaby — February 8th, 2011, 9:13 am

      I have to agree. The high protein western diet is killing us and don’t see how eating real whole foods (like beans, legumes and grains) is harmful when they have stood the test of time in human history. It’s only recently, when we are trying to find the magic diet, (ie low fat in the 80s and 90s, low carb today, etc) that we are having so many more health issues than in past cultures and in history. All these “diets” have produced is non-foods that are edible but so harmful to our bodies.

      Really thinking about what you put into your body is important and that the “slow carb” diet is good as it promotes mostly real whole foods (mainly green, leafy foods), but the danger I fear in it is that you get away from the pleasure of food. I will try it, with a few tweeks, as I am a believer in the traditional foods of my culture (which apparently fit into the “slow carb diet” quite nicely, with the exception of just a few things) and want to also go back to really enjoy cooking and to the pleasure of eating REAL WHOLE food.

      Reply

  • Devin Ford — September 19th, 2010, 6:14 pm

    Great post! I have worked with Robb multiple times in Crossfit. I’m good friends with him, and thankfully so. This guy knows SO MUCH.

    One thing I have learned is there are no g’dam excuses. I know people reading this will say “Oh, i see… but I cant cut pasta!”. Well… then youll die early and never perform or feel like you want to.. case closed. People need to decide whats more important.. life or the “thrill” of pasta……

    Reply

  • Dan — September 19th, 2010, 6:20 pm

    Vegan? Vegetarian? You’re missing the point. Eating paleo is all about eating the stuff we evolved to eat (meat). Those sharp incisors aint for chewing tofu.

    Reply

    • John — October 26th, 2010, 4:51 pm

      Yes, we are omnivores. Go in the opposite direction to the crowd. They are following other people and organisations with there own vested interests.

      Reply

    • Kiwi — November 25th, 2010, 12:26 pm

      Eating just the veggies is fine but not how we evolved. It’s a choice and I respect that personal option. We used to have to eat meat to survive- now we don’t, we don’t have to run after and hunt, kill an animalmto survive ( a better option than eating grass back then I’m sure)
      Now, we just go to the whole foods and eat veggies. Incisors are still good for ripping apart tofu.

      Reply

    • Johnfused — October 23rd, 2011, 11:33 am

      You can’t tell the difference between a slice of hot toasted stoneground bread spread with butter (ok, and marmalade) and a lettuce leaf? Help!

      Reply

  • Mindy — September 19th, 2010, 6:20 pm

    @Jimmy: You clearly haven’t read the book or done any research on Robb or the paleo diet. Maybe you should try actually reading something before you start spouting off ignorant comments?

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 19th, 2010, 7:41 pm

      Easy, guys! Ah, diet posts. Never fails to stir up the dust. Jimmy, I do agree that your “nonsense” attack is a bit too strong, though.

      Insulting and snide comments will henceforth get deleted if I catch them. Them’s the rules. Cite sources and be constructive when possible.

      Tim

      Reply

  • Sam — September 19th, 2010, 6:21 pm

    No beer? I think that will be the hardest for me. Recommended alternatives?

    Reply

  • Chase Bourdelaise — September 19th, 2010, 6:34 pm

    Jeez, it seems that if you eat too much of anything it will cause cancer or some other problem…

    Interesting post, but it really targets the negative effects of eating these grains. What about the benefits?! Fiber? Energy storage?

    Tim, also, what about the effects of chewing your food for a longer period of time? I know that digestion starts in your mouth and the majority of people swallow their food too soon. Might this have any impact on the defensive effects of grains?

    You’re the man.

    Best,
    Chase

    Reply

  • Sam S. — September 19th, 2010, 6:42 pm

    I tried this diet for a while and while I lost weight on it, I found that it wasn’t for me and had some logical flaws:
    1. I’m vegetarian, and if you eliminate legumes and grain, my only source of complete protein is eggs. I can’t see how it’s healthy to eat 8-9 eggs a day.
    2. I think the key to this diet is limiting “bad” foods that would be eliminated anyway (cake, snacks etc…) when I was on this, I found that I ate less not because it’s such a super diet, just because it was very restrictive as to what i could eat. I also found that when I ate too much, I gained weight, just like with every other diet.
    3. The logical flaw I found here was the elimination of things like beans and corn and eating foods like pork and beef.
    Cavemen didn’t have beef or pork, those are modern domesticated animals.
    Also, native people all over the world (including the Tarahumara) live off beans and corn and live long healthy and energetic lives (e.g. running ultra marathons at the age of 80). It’s hard for me to believe they are all diseased and are missing out on a healthier life.

    I did discover some great recipes while on this diet and I also added some foods to my regular diet, but this seems to me like a new fad. I’d be interested to hear if there is any real research showing the positive effects of this or if this is just anecdotal evidence used to sell books/product.

    Reply

    • Karanime — June 13th, 2011, 3:51 pm

      Actually, I’ve heard you can eat ONLY eggs and turn out just fine.

      I’ve heard the same thing of raisins and bananas, oddly.

      /<3

      Reply

    • McAnon — October 20th, 2011, 9:13 pm

      Weston A Price looked at many indigenous people’s health and diets and found that the healthiest people were coastal, pastoral tribes with access to seafood and milk products from their cattle… he couldn’t find one healthy tribe that ate only plant foods.

      The Tarahumara may be healthy by our own pitiful standards but they might not be that healthy compared to other tribes…

      Reply

  • Tim McGuire — September 19th, 2010, 6:46 pm

    Fantastic post, Tim and Robb. I had suspicions but never realised the rabbit-hole went so deep!

    Due to low IgA issues, slow growth, rashes, eczema, irritability and poor dental development I’ve been testing both my kids. My wife and I took our family off gluten for a month. We, each, were so much better! The boys’ thrived, their behaviour was amazing and they slept like babies! We reintroduced gluten in order for blood tests to be taken and both boys developed constipation issues, eczema, mood swings and rashes. Interestingly enough, neither of my sons showed signs of being coeliac, though one test came back showing allergy to wheat. As far as skin prick tests go, I’m not going to wait for the results. They’re going back off gluten.

    My wife and I lost weight quickly and effortlessly (even though we’ve been Body for Life-ing it for years). We had always suspected gluten was an issue in ourselves, even though we are apparently fit and healthy. For one, bran and wheat cereals always gave me a hell of a gut ache!

    Thanks for all the info Robb. As an ice cream addict I’m just a bit gutted that dairy presents issues! What’s the story with dairy in this context? Does it mean that I should lay off whey powder for protein supplementation?

    p.s. Tim, lay off the vino and hurry up with the new book.

    Reply

  • Jeremy Caudle — September 19th, 2010, 6:51 pm

    Great post! I can’t wait to read the whole book when it comes out. The information here will definitely help in addition to your “How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise” article.

    Glad to see I can clip it in Evernote too.

    Reply

  • Star — September 19th, 2010, 7:03 pm

    What a great article. The way Robb writes can really wake a person up.
    While reading it, I was thinking about how I would still have a 6in Subway sandwich 1-2 times a week, but then he said the bit about a bit of gluten every 10-15 days is all it takes to keep your intestines in terrible shape. Hmm… I may have to give this a try for 30 days and see what happens. It will be difficult, but I should be able to manage. I’ve already cut most carbs and dairy out of my diet. It’s the occasional Sub and hot chocolate that throws me off.
    Cheers!

    Reply

  • Brian Armstrong — September 19th, 2010, 7:06 pm

    Tim,

    The cynic in me says that, yes of course you will lose weight if you follow this diet for a month – there is barely a carb in it. I’m not sure this is good evidence that grains are toxic to humans though.

    Yur awesome…but this post felt a little less scientific, and a little more get-rich-quick than your usual excellent content.

    Brian

    Reply

  • Josh Webb — September 19th, 2010, 7:06 pm

    Hey Tim, is there any form of Dairy in your diet?

    Reply

  • Josh Webb — September 19th, 2010, 7:09 pm

    errrr… nevermind…

    Reply

  • Abefroeman — September 19th, 2010, 7:28 pm

    Wow, my wife has been trying to tell me about this and I honestly could not believe it. But after reading this it TOTALLY made sense and explained a ton of issues to me. Thank you so much what a life changer indeed!

    Abe

    Reply

  • Marshall Middle — September 19th, 2010, 7:29 pm

    I heard the Duke aka Bruce Wayne died with 40lbs of dookie in his intestines. He could have definitely benefited from this diet.

    Reply

  • Craig Niedenthal — September 19th, 2010, 7:32 pm

    Tim: Started crossfit and paleo about 7 months ago. Lost 20 lbs and have never felt better. No grains and no sugar. You don’t realize how it messes up your system till its gone.

    Reply

  • Matthew — September 19th, 2010, 7:33 pm

    My wife and I tried the Paleo diet, but had difficulties staying on it for a couple of reasons: it is expensive! As college students, we can’t afford fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat without cheap foods like pasta, bread, and rice to help fill out meals. We had a hard time finding recipes that were easy to fix on our tight schedules.

    We need help with these two problems, as we would love to test out the diet for 30 days.

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 19th, 2010, 7:35 pm

      Hi Matthew,

      I’ve asked Robb to jump on here tomorrow (he’s on the east coast now resting up) to answer as many questions as possible. I’m sure he has some suggestions…

      Tim

      Reply

  • Greg Carver — September 19th, 2010, 7:52 pm

    Robb and I were recently on the Wylde on Health show here in Canada – discussing paleo nutrition and primal fitness (a la MovNat). Great to see such recognition for his book, which is going gangbusters! I encourage everybody to order a copy…

    Reply

  • Anon — September 19th, 2010, 7:53 pm

    Non-vegetarian: Hey Jimmy can you come over, I need some help lifting this extremely heavy object.

    Jimmy: No, I am a vegetarian.

    Reply

  • Chris L — September 19th, 2010, 7:55 pm

    Based on the sample meal plan, do potatoes fall into the ‘not allowed’ category?

    Reply

  • Will — September 19th, 2010, 7:58 pm

    Aiii….this all makes a lot of sense, but once again I don’t know how to reconcile this with other very well made cases that contradict the Paleo diet, e.g. the China Study saying meat is killing us and that grains are just fine.

    The only foods that nobody seems to take issue with on any front are fruits and vegetables. Any downside to eating only fruits and vegetables?

    Reply

  • Ryan — September 19th, 2010, 7:58 pm

    I can’t help but notice that this excerpt doesn’t cite any studies, research or paper. Are there such things in the book? Just the sheer amount of anecdotal evidence in the opening section of this excerpt raises some flags for me, so I’d like to know more before I can come to any conclusions.

    Reply

  • Lukifer Aurelius — September 19th, 2010, 8:02 pm

    Great article, thank you for posting Tim. I am very keen to try it out as i’ve had problems with digestion and i think this makes a whole lotta sense given my experience eating gluten rich foods.

    But I also want to second the voices against eating mass quantities of meat. The major downsides of which include but are not limited to: environmental devastation; meat production is one of the sole causes of the destruction of the amazon, destroying virgin forests for soybean crops that feed cattle, mostly for europe. Along with the huge amount of energy and resources it takes to raise, kill and transport meat, making it the worst food by far in terms of carbon emissions. The totally unethical way in which factory farmed animals are raised and slaughtered (esp chicken and pork). The fact that about 5kg’s of wild fish have to be caught in order to feed 1kg of farmed salmon (not to mention the wild salmon populations which are being rapidly decimated). There is also a fair amount of research that is making strong claims for the harmful effects of eating dead animal flesh ( btw the chemical that gives meat it’s ‘meaty’ taste is uric acid, the waste fluid of the muscle cells before it is sent off to the bladder, surely we don’t replace faeces in our bloodstream with urine? :P )

    SO yea man, are there any vegetarian options in this book or is it just eat lot of meat and greens?

    Muchos Gracias compadre

    Reply

  • Nikolaï — September 19th, 2010, 8:05 pm

    @Tim:

    First, can you provide citations backing up this post? Any studies?

    Second: “[G]rains are not a sound decision for health or longevity. For the purposes of our discussion, consider dairy … in the same category.”

    But yogurt has been shown in numerous studies to be extremely beneficial for the immune system. Please see those listed throughout and at the bottom of the following page:

    http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=124

    Comments?

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 19th, 2010, 8:14 pm

      Hi Nikolai,

      Robb offers citations in his book, if you’d like to reference. Otherwise, I’ll leave it to him to answer in the comments.

      Tim

      Reply

    • Sarah — April 24th, 2012, 9:50 pm

      Yogurt is beneficial to the immune system because of the cultured bacteria (probiotics) that it contains, not because of the dairy itself. Being lactose intolerant, I know that the alternatives are scarce, but kombucha tea and non-dairy yogurt contain the same probiotic cultures and can be extremely beneficial. It does cost more, but I suppose it is a personal choice whether you would rather your money go to buying good food or paying doctor bills. I’ve also found Acidophilus in tablet form which is a little less costly than eating non-dairy yogurt every day :)

      Reply

  • Lukifer Aurelius — September 19th, 2010, 8:10 pm

    OK looks like there was some lag time between me reading the comments and me posting my comment, most of the questions i just asked are answered. d’oh…

    Reply

  • Brice — September 19th, 2010, 8:19 pm

    Before everyone jumps on board here’s some info from the other side of the fence.

    http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=3904

    Reply

  • Alexey — September 19th, 2010, 8:26 pm

    @Jimmy, I don’t agree with your reply, the eggs and chicken are cooked so that pretty much eliminates the chances of getting salmonella. In addition, salmonella is something that a lot of people are scared of but it is actually pretty rare (my dad has been eating raw eggs his whole life and has never gotten salmonella). If you are worried about antibiotics in your food, give organic food a try where a chicken is raised on a farm without antibiotics or steroids. Out of all the fish, salmon is the one of the lowest in mercury and make sure you buy wild, not farmed. I know it is easy to put up a random reply, but getting your facts straight is a different story.

    Thanks for a great post Tim.

    Reply

    • Melody — January 25th, 2011, 8:22 pm

      Salmonella poisoning is rare but is only found in modern eggs where the chickens are given antibiotics and live in horrible conditions. It is not a concern in organic eggs and there is even a large body of evidence that it is safe and very healthy to even eat raw organic eggs from cage free, free range chickens. I am sure this will raise some eyebrows because it goes against the modern approach to never eat raw eggs. But there is a lot of good information out there if this is a concern of the benefits of going organic especially with eggs.

      Reply

  • Andrew — September 19th, 2010, 8:53 pm

    Tim,

    Have a look at dadamo.com, the Eat Right 4 Your Type site. They go into great depth about lectins, and provide a huge chunk of research into how come eating foodstuffs that are nutritious for others can undermine your health.
    I was first put onto it by a naturopath with twenty years experience, and my health flipped! Constant colds, sinus problems (supposedly due to lactose), all kinds of things just went away.
    Have a read there, it’s fascinating and sound stuff.

    Reply

  • Tricia — September 19th, 2010, 8:54 pm

    Not the friendliest diet for a vegan.

    Reply

  • Steve S — September 19th, 2010, 8:55 pm

    TIm, just curious, do you not eat grains or any gluten products on Saturday’s (your dietary “off” day) ?

    How about after workouts? No carbohydrates after workouts may be an issue for me.

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 19th, 2010, 11:58 pm

      Hi Steve,

      Personally, I do eat whatever I want on “off” day, once per week. Robb would disagree with me on this, and I’m sure some of my health (GI, probably) would be better off without it. That said — simple enough — I *like* cheat day, and it keeps me sane. As long as my blood values aren’t out of whack, and as long as I feel great, I’ll probably continue doing this.

      Keep in mind, though, that 6 out of every 7 days are strictly no gluten and no grains for me.

      Cheers,

      Tim

      Reply

      • BK — February 16th, 2012, 11:26 am

        Robb includes legumes into the GI problems. however 4HB promotes regular use of bean/legumes? i dont soak my own beans, canned only.

        Reply

  • Trevor — September 19th, 2010, 8:56 pm

    Much love for Robb Wolf. I’ve been Paleo for about 9 months and it has been the single biggest improvement of my life. Anyone who doesn’t give it a shot for at least 30 days is robbing themselves of something that some people spend their entire lives looking for.

    The biggest caveat is having to do so much cooking, but you definitely find quick and easy meals that work for your schedule. My go-to meal is a handful of carrots, brocolli, yellow squash, and .75lbs of grass-fed ground beef in a skillet with coconut oil. This “paleo stir-fry” is amazing and takes less than ten minutes to make.

    Aside from Robb’s book, Mark Sisson’s “The Primal Blueprint” is another holy grail of the lifestyle.

    Reply

  • C.T.T. — September 19th, 2010, 8:59 pm

    I think this diet would be extremely difficult to undertake if one is a strict vegetarian or vegan. Does the book include recipes for them as well?

    I’m personally a pescatarian (I eat seafood and vegetables) so it will be easier for me to give this diet a try, though I find it hard to understand how grains are so bad for us, yet meat is supposedly fine.

    In disagreement with Dan’s comment, I don’t think human teeth were designed to devour meat, because my teeth look nothing like my dog’s or my cat’s extremely sharp teeth, or a bear’s, or a lion’s, or a vampire’s (and vampire’s don’t eat meat, they only suck blood).

    And isn’t it possible that poison ivy just has a more evolved defense mechanism for survival, and cows just failed? (Survival of the fittest theory? Anyone?)

    Either way, this article is very well written and I’m almost convinced (I’m at about 90%, so a few more points and I’m throwing all my grains out the window since they’re still compost-pile worthy).

    I will definitely read the book and the evidence/research/studies, and see what happens.

    (But deep down I hope you’re wrong because I love pasta too much!)

    Reply

  • Shanna-lynne — September 19th, 2010, 9:04 pm

    Thank you for the info – I always appreciate new perspectives. There are lots of great facts in the information. I would like to question the large amount of meat in the diet recommended. I agree that gluten needs to be eliminated however I also believe that meat also needs to be eliminated from the diet. Meat is highly acidic and is a dead animal you put in your body – which most of the meat products people have access to have antibiotics and chemicals also. I was wondering if you have any suggestions for readers who want more variety in their daily diet but do not want to eat gluten, meat or dairy?? I find it difficult to find meal ideas so often I eat gluten or fish – and always eliminate meat and dairy – but I would love to find more options to not do that and still feel like I am giving my body enough fuel. Any thoughts???

    Reply

  • Arlo — September 19th, 2010, 9:09 pm

    re: Jimmy

    Ah, diet discussion. Like religion, politics and sex, it just isn’t polite dinner conversation.

    Reply

  • Mike — September 19th, 2010, 9:13 pm

    What happens if you strictly cut out all grains, and then suddenly 2 months later you begin eating them again. Wouldn’t you bloat back to the weight you had burned off?

    Reply

  • J — September 19th, 2010, 9:20 pm

    Thanks for the insight.

    I wish it were so easy.

    As a number of comments here reflect, the food supply is broken and badly. The complex chemistry of plant growth has been severely tampered with in mass-produced crops, and many resemble nothing like their relatives of even 50 years ago. Many strains of GMO crop seed are designed to produce pesticides inside the plant that wind up in your gut.

    The grains are passed on to livestock, which are also genetically modified and loaded with artificial stumulants, suppressants, antibiotics, hormones, and post-industrial waste products (DDGS, etc) for feed. The combinatory effects of all these chemical tweaks is unknown. Science has fallen far short here, and the vested interests of agribusiness is probably going to keep it that way for awhile.

    Having spent the last 3 years patiently researching the subject while surgeons reconstructed my digestive tract, I am fairly certain it is no one thing. Gluten and a hundred other susbstances are problematic. The damage being done is not directly the inability to process foods like gluten, but the massive derailment of enzyme processes within the body that ordinarily would be able to handle (protease inhibitors mentioned but- emphasize that). Naturally occuring and volatile substances like hydrogen sulfide (especially hydrogen sulfide) are mxing with the chemical base in the food chain, enzymes are flipping on and off in response to the chemical cocktails of global frankenfarming, and causing a huge range of health/digestive problems.

    Reduction of ingredients, simplification of your diet will go a long way to staying healthy, gluten or not. You list chicken as a viable alternative- what did your chicken eat? You don’t want to know.

    http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/index.htm

    Some good info there. Eat local, grow your own if you can. Trust no food source. Sucks, but…otherwise you are just a lab rat in the grand experiment.

    Reply

  • Raj Ganpath — September 19th, 2010, 9:24 pm

    This post is genius! Robb is a wealth of information and no words can really describe his contribution to the nutrition and fitness world.

    For the haters, you could be vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian or whatever else there is. Why wouldn’t you stay the same but drop the grains? What bad can come from eating vegetables, nuts, fruit, seafood and meat (remove what isn’t applicable to you). All Robb (and bunch of us others) are fighting for is to remove grains from your diet. Its funny all the haters seem to say Robb’s information is not accurate but no one seems to prove that eating grains has any benefit whatsoever!

    99% of the people don’t want to even try this because they are too lazy to do the work. Sure it’s hard to give up grains… but what you get in return is WAY more precious than the pasta you eat 3 times a week.

    I did the work. I made the change. Result? 18 years of asthma cured in 3 months. HDL from 43 to 75. LDL from 165 to 115.

    Reply

  • Erica Douglass — September 19th, 2010, 9:50 pm

    I have Celiac disease.

    I don’t think “most people” know about Celiac (at least I’m pretty sure most don’t, from the confused looks and hundreds of emails I get about it.)

    Gluten is insidious. It’s found in soy sauce, for instance. And there are very few restaurants that understand how to avoid cross-contamination (if you eat food that has been fried in a fryer that has oil that was used to fry wheat, you’ve just eaten gluten.) Most restaurant owners don’t have a clue. The few restaurants that do are often the big chains.

    Wheat free does not mean gluten free–I speak from experience…

    Gluten free foods are expensive.

    And gluten pops up in the weirdest things, too. I got sick from a chocolate mint candy once, and also from vitamins I was taking (some vitamin companies use gluten to make the vitamins stick together.)

    Gluten free is not an easy path, but it’s worth it if you’re sick all the time, or unreasonably exhausted after you eat.

    I wrote about my own diagnosis with Celiac disease here: http://www.erica.biz/2009/diagnosis-celiac-disease/

    -Erica

    Reply

  • Danielle — September 19th, 2010, 10:01 pm

    Thanks for the sobering post Tim, I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and my husband passed 6 years ago due to complications of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I am taking my daughter and me off the grains today. I’ll let you know how it goes.

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 19th, 2010, 11:53 pm

      Danielle, I am so, so sorry for the loss of your husband. Please do keep us posted, and be sure to work with your doctor to take before-and-after blood values.

      All the best,

      Tim

      Reply

  • Michael — September 19th, 2010, 10:01 pm

    Thanks Tim for posting such a long excerpt. I’ve been seeing quotes about Rob’s book popping up recently, and have been learning more about the paleo diet since starting Cross Fit in August.

    The best part is that their are so many paleo sites these days that have recipes that are healthy and actually taste good too.

    Reply

  • Diana Houlihan — September 19th, 2010, 10:03 pm

    Thank you so much for this post.

    I had my gallbladder removed in my early ’20s (all the physicians were completely baffled by my sudden and acute onset of massive numbers of gallstones), so this information is particularly eye-opening for me!

    Reply

  • Alyssa — September 19th, 2010, 10:06 pm

    It’s great to see the word of Paleo spread to new communities!!! I was first turned onto this lifestyle through my Crossfit gym. I’ve eaten mostly Paleo for about 2 years now and feel absolutely excellent. I’m such a advocate that I started a food blog of delicious Paleo recipes, simple enough for the average joe. Please do check us out at http://www.sweetcheekshq.com. Great post Tim, happy to see you supporting!

    Reply

  • Jeff Nabers — September 19th, 2010, 10:06 pm

    Perfect timing! I’ve been making drastic adjustments to my diet and observing the results.

    A good friend of mine told me how bad grains were, but it’s another thing to have somebody EXPLAIN why and prove it. This post did a bit of that, and now I can have some good solid reasons to go grainless for 30 days.

    For me, I know that after doing it for 30 days, it will be easy and sensible to stay off.

    Thanks again, Tim & Robb. Tim, your subject matter is all over the place in a good way :-D

    Jeff

    Reply

  • Reilly Sweetland — September 19th, 2010, 10:16 pm

    Tim – So happy you brought this topic to light. I, myself, discovered being (extremely) gluten intolerant about 5 years ago and it completely changed my life.

    A short list of benefits from my going gluten-free include: the elimination of crushing migrane headaches I had my entire life once every week or two (huge), general lack of energy (that I didn’t even know I had until going gluten-free), foggy-headedness, canker sores, unrestful sleep and a ton of other seemingly disrelated medical symptoms (similar to the case studies above).

    But, alas, I have always been “that guy” at restaurants, harassing waiters, asking to see packaging, etc. Fortunately, in last few years I have seen an upsurge in gluten-awareness. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s for example carry numerous products that are clearly labeled as gluten free. Hopefully with this (awesome) article, this subject will get more mainstream.

    As for the nay-sayers – I do know that some people are apparently unaffected by gluten, but for those that truly have a sensitivity, the results night-and-day. I don’t care what any “authority” has to say to the contrary – it totally f’ing works. Enough said.

    btw, if you are in the south sf bay area, the place I worked with (allergy tests, etc) is called HealthNOW Medical (http://www.healthnowmedical.com). I was super happy with them. Just google “Gluten Doctor” and you’ll find them on the first page. They also hold forums on gluten-sensitivity, offer other advice, etc.

    Reply

  • Rita — September 19th, 2010, 10:17 pm

    Wow, I had no idea grains and legumes were that bad!

    I am constantly suffering from allergies, gut problems, and autoimmune issues including severe and painful IBS attacks which are pretty debilitating. I developed unexplained severe allergies to stuff I was not allergic before (such as hair bleach) I got my hair bleached countless times without any issues, but the last two times I almost died from anaphlectic shock.

    I also developed a severe allergy against cat dander, which causes terrible asthma attacks and lung infections (to the point of needing steroid shots and breathing machine) I used to be fine with cats, never had any such problems until the recent years. No good reason or logical explanation for developing such severe allergies and terrible, debilitating IBS attacks.

    Doctors were not able to help much, all they do is prescribe painkillers and immunosuppressants.

    After reading this great article, I will remove all grains from my diet and try a fruit-veggie-egg-fish diet for 30 days and see if that helps. I hope cutting out the grains, legumes etc resolves this, cause I’m sick and tired of having poor health and being miserable with horrible IBS attacks!

    Reply

  • WTF? — September 19th, 2010, 10:20 pm

    Ummm Is nobody else concerned that this diet is based on the Paleolithic Man that had an average life span of only 30 years? Oh don’t tell me, it had nothing to do with his diet. In fact he was in excellent health when he died. I get the diet, it’s the typical smoke and mirrors marketing angle that makes this another fad for people who don’t want to do the work.

    Reply

    • RK — May 20th, 2013, 12:23 am

      Consider that the average lifespan of paleolithic humans was decreased by (i) infant mortality (ii) death at the paws of wild animals

      Reply

  • Luke — September 19th, 2010, 10:25 pm

    “gluten consumption is on par with a pack-a-day smoking habit.”
    You have got to be kidding me.
    There are so many major inconsistencies and erroneous ‘facts’ in this article. Some parts of this article are highly debatable and make connections between two things that in reality are highly unlikely to be temporally related. Just because things are presented as fact by one man and his ‘expert opinion’ does not make them true. I would love to see references to the research Robb claims backs this information up.
    Don’t get me wrong I agree with trying anything that may work, but I believe it is wrong to make such sweeping and simplified comments blaming grain as the cause of so many conditions.

    Reply

  • Anthony Landreth — September 19th, 2010, 10:28 pm

    After he got a nod from Erwan Le Corre, I started listening to Robb’s podcasts and they are top notch.

    I attended a Robb Wolf seminar in the LA area last month (Team Crossfit in Monrovia). Awesome, awesome, awesome presentation. I’ve never had a weight problem and I’ve always been fit, but after making the adjustments Robb recommends, my body just started getting massively stronger. I put on 10 lbs of lean mass under intermittent fasting, doing little more than sitting on my ass.

    Reply

  • Rita — September 19th, 2010, 10:30 pm

    Question for Robb: Are sprouts ok? And is occasional dairy as bad as occasional grains?

    Reply

  • Bodie — September 19th, 2010, 10:33 pm

    For paleo recipes, I recommend Mark Sisson’s Primal Blueprint Cookbook.
    http://www.amazon.com/Primal-Blueprint-Cookbook-Grain-Free-Gluten-Free/dp/0982207727
    Tons of delicious and easy recipes.
    Also, the Primal Blueprint is an excellent book for developing an entire paleo lifestyle.
    http://primalblueprint.com/

    Reply

  • Nathan Schmitt — September 19th, 2010, 10:34 pm

    Thanks for this post–going to have to read the book now.

    @Robb
    Quick question: I’m an ectomorph and have a largely vegetarian diet (with some meat mixed in) and whey protein powder seems to be the only way i can get enough protein to put on muscle weight. Is whey considered a no-no, does it depend on the type, or is it OK? If it’s a no go, what non-meat substitute would you suggest?

    Reply

  • Chris Kummer — September 19th, 2010, 10:34 pm

    This is the closest post to what the truest answer is; raw foods. Way to put Panera Bread out of business!

    Mahalo

    Reply

  • Ben — September 19th, 2010, 10:41 pm

    I assume this would nix Tito’s Vodka (corn) from one’s diet? How about a potato vodka though? Chopin anyone?

    Reply

  • Joseph Dantes — September 19th, 2010, 10:44 pm

    Hi Tim,

    I am so glad to see you finally embrace the paleo trend. I am one of those “amazing health turnaround stories.” I suffered from crippling IBS-D, chronic fatigue in cyclical waves, and emotional numbness.

    However, my story comes with an important twist. Paleo alone wasn’t enough to fix me. Neither was an all meat diet. Only when I moved to a fresh fish diet was I cured.

    I’ve been on an all meat diet for a long time. Still having problems, I eventually narrowed down my diet to just frozen fish fillets. For a good while I tried to optimize fat ratios in the fillets, thinking that was the last problem.

    Just in these last few days, I switched to live-bought fish which I boil and eat the same day. I got this idea from the Stefansson Eskimo diet article. My energy and mood and physical activity all immediately shot up. Whereas before my energy was fluctuating between 3/5 (if lucky) and 2/5 (more commonly) and 1/5 (on too-frequent bad days), now I was at 4/5. For example, I started working out hard in the mornings, no problem. Before I’d be lucky if I worked out once per week. And I actually enjoyed situps for the first time in my life.

    My food consumption dropped by half even as my activity skyrocketed. And my food costs dropped by 2/3s. The live fish I was eating are just a little longer than the span of my hand, but they pack huge nutritional punch and flavor.

    I can only theorize that I was eating so much before because I was chasing micronutrients that had been destroyed by the frozen fish fillet’s age, processing and freezing process. Now I eat much less frequently yet don’t feel hungry. From 5+ meals per day down to 3-1.

    Remarkably, I’m finding that this new level of energy requires a complete redesign of my life. I’m suddenly bored by my previous low-energy, low-stimulation, low-variety lifestyle. I’m no longer content to sit in front of a computer all day and “work.” And I’m much more interested in social stimulation.

    Keep up the good work,
    JD

    Reply

  • Megan — September 19th, 2010, 10:47 pm

    In the excerpt, it is mentioned that eating gluten is connected to Huntington’s Disease. I am just wondering how that is possible. Does it simply lead to symptoms appearing earlier? Huntington’s is an autosomal dominant disease that affects and eventually kills everyone who possesses even one copy of the gene, correct? (i.e. it is impossible to simply be a carrier for the disease or to have any predisposition to it)

    Interesting article, though I think I’d be hard pressed to live a life without pasta…

    Reply

  • Chris — September 19th, 2010, 10:49 pm

    I know Robb has some good points and yes Gluten can be problematic to some. One big thing to remember though is that Low Carb dieting is NOT the solution, Robb you tend to go too low in carbohydrates with your “Paleo” recommendations. This will ultimately lead to a host of problems – Adrenal, Thyroid, and therefore psychological and physical problems all around.

    You just need to read some of Matt Stone’s work at 180 Degree Health http://thurly.net/023p or Stephan at Whole Health Source http://thurly.net/023o

    I understand you have good intentions and think Paleo is the ultimate diet, but after trying it myself and it nearly killing me after 2 years of stubbornly following it (yes properly I listened to your podcasts and read a wide range of paleo blogs) plus seeing that it has had the same effect on many others we can safely assume it is far from the optimal human diet, especially once we get over the initial low carb honeymoon fuelled by catecholamines.

    Gluten is not the best thing in the world but it is also not the demon this post and the paleo community makes it out to be. Low carb is also not the way to go especially for those of us who partake in sports, unless you want to slug down your metabolism and demolish your glucose tolerance and end up getting OCD about food.

    Anyway I am sorry about the rant and don’t mean to offend anyone, just feel that these kind of articles are misleading and will send many people who are doing the right thing already down the wrong path.

    Eat real food including plenty of whole food starch.

    Reply

  • Anon — September 19th, 2010, 10:52 pm

    @Robb
    Quick question: I’m an ectomorph and have a largely vegetarian diet (with some meat mixed in) and whey protein powder seems to be the only way i can get enough protein to put on muscle weight. Is whey considered a no-no, does it depend on the type, or is it OK? If it’s a no go, what non-meat substitute would you suggest?

    Reply

  • Mike Elgan — September 19th, 2010, 10:56 pm

    One colossal problem with the Paleo Diet: It’s based on flawed archeology. Since the Paleo diet was invented in the 1970s, archeologists have proved that grains were a major part of the Paleolithic diet:

    http://thespartandiet.blogspot.com/2009/06/new-finding-shows-barley-in-diet-before.html

    The bad health of neolithic farmers are clearly the result of inadequate fruits and vegetables in the diet, not the presence of grains. And our current health crisis is caused by processed industrial foods and processed, adulterated grains.

    Whole grains have been a part of the human diet for *at least* 100 millenia, and are vital for optimum health.

    The Paleo diet means well, but it’s now conspicuously out of date.

    Reply

    • Frank — November 5th, 2010, 12:43 am

      I wouldn’t be so quick to jump on the “humans ate bread 100k years ago” bandwagon. Here’s a link to the response to this find by Loren Cordain, who has done much of the research on the deleterious effects of grains
      http://donmatesz.blogspot.com/2009/12/loren-cordains-responds-to-mercader.html

      Again, I think it’s increasingly accepted that the human diet was aggressively carnivorous for most of our history, and that this increased intake of fat, protein, and calories, allowed us to grow larger brains, and is associated with greater health, as seen by stronger and longer bones, healthier teeth, and much less evidence of malnutrition. Also, carbon profiling of bones indicate a high consumption of animal flesh, not to mention the cave paintings of animals being hunted tens of thousands of years ago. Humans followed large animals through ice age Europe and into the Americas, subsisting on meat. Eskimos, Plains Indians and the Masai are a few cultures that come to mind which exhibited primarily meat intake and good health. Certainly better health than grain consuming Mayans, Europeans, or Asian populations, which struggled with vitamin deficiencies and poor bone and dental health.

      I am a believer in the paleo way of eating, but I can certainly appreciate some here who are skeptical. I can also appreciate the vegetarians here as well- I was one myself for 2 years. All I can say is you’re all obviously smart people who care about health and what you eat. So start doing your own research, and see what you think. Or just try being a meat eating paleo for a month. Would it kill you? If you read through this entire long article, you know you’re curious, right? I tried the vegetarian thing for two years- you can give this a whirl for 30 days, right? There are some studies out directly on the paleo (grain free) diet. Here’s one to get you started…

      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19209185?dopt=Abstract
      Even short-term consumption of a paleolithic type diet improves BP and glucose tolerance, decreases insulin secretion, increases insulin sensitivity and improves lipid profiles without weight loss in healthy sedentary humans.

      I would also add that you should go into things with an open mind. I think the neo-religious zealotry about how wonderful fruits and vegetables are, and how terrible meat is, really doesn’t match the scientific data. Again, make up your own mind, but look for actual scientific, randomized, double blind studies, NOT epidemiological (observational) studies, and not just a rant on a vegan blog somewhere. I think you may be surprised to find the emperor has no clothes. Besides, admit it, meat is yummy! :)

      Reply

      • Will — January 11th, 2011, 8:16 am

        Frank,
        Eskimos ate fish and lots of seals, seal fat is high in omega-3. Eskimos live for a long time on this diet.
        Brains grow larger if the proceeding generation eats fish (not meat in general), I think fish is the only source of some chemical that does this for us.
        Fish does not effect your brain size but it alters your future babies brain sizes.
        Extra brain goodies…
        -Stuff in Blueberries acts as an anti-oxidant to the brain
        -Stuff in Almonds increases IQ

        The longest lived people in the world (they live on some island in Asia) eat mostly green vegetables and fish and work slowly in fields making there greens. True story.

        To live super long you probably need to eat the right combo of nutrients and probably less than you would like (to keep your body cells in a defensive state). You also have to minimize exercise to stop your body wearing out. By minimize exercise I don’t mean sitting on the couch, I mean low impact non-body building. People these days seem to do either do nothing or too much.

        p.s. (not to frank, just my take)
        I don’t follow any diet.. but I do have some quirks…

        -I minimize white bread, sugar, milk and beef
        -I avoid table salt (table salt makes you crave more because your body actually wants the sea salt trace elements). I use sea salt
        -I get the iodine (I miss from table salt) from seaweed
        -I believe researched trick to being healthy with meat is to make sure your omega-3 exceeds your omega-6
        -Nuts contain unsaturated omega-6 (and other omegas, fibre and other good stuff)
        -I believe the research that has associated eating more the 300-500g of red meat per week to bowel cancer (and some others)
        -I like (grain fed) eggs.
        -I keep my meals small.
        -I eat lots of fish from good areas.
        -I eat lots of nuts and greens and whatever.
        -I often read about whatever food I am eating for fun.

        When I replaced most beef with nuts and fish a while back and reduced my meal sizes and I became super healthy. Dropped from 96kg to 68kg over a year, all my boring little health problems disappeared in the first few weeks. I had always walked 2km 6 days a week, but still reached 96kg, cutting meat down did it for me.

        Reply

  • Matthew Bailey — September 19th, 2010, 10:59 pm

    I’d like to know what you think of the book “Eating right 4 your blood type” which states most of this diet for o type blood but mostly carbs for A types.

    I’d like to know if important nutrients are being lost from more beneficial grains such as Quinea and Ezekiel Bread.

    I did the body-for-life program for 3 months and lost more than half my body fat %, felt great, but still mixed carbs with proteins and veggies.

    Who really knows anymore. Seems all the diets work if done right.

    Reply

  • Liz — September 19th, 2010, 11:22 pm

    I’m sure that there are many citations in the book, but for those chomping at the bit for scientific backup you may want to check out http://www.greenmedinfo.com/page/dark-side-wheat-new-perspectives-celiac-disease-wheat-intolerance-sayer-ji as well as the next article in the series. It says all the same stuff that Robb said, only Robb made it more palatable to the average person who doesn’t have a background in nutrition.

    Reply

  • Cindy — September 19th, 2010, 11:34 pm

    This is a reply for Vik:

    He writes: “As a corollary, how does this paleo research fit in with Asian and Indian diets that are very high in rice/legumes and have a very low percentage of the health ailments that are indicative of high protein western diets?…”

    I wish you were more specific about the health ailments that Asian/Indians do not have but I actually live in India (for 3 years now) and these are my observations. Indians often develop a very large gut as they get older, and the rates of obesity are quite high. The exception to this would be the laborers, villagers, and truly poor who just eat far fewer calories, but who are not opposed to getting cheap protein in whatever animal form it might appear (you don’t want to know). Rates of diabetes in India are VERY high and as income levels go up the consumption of carbohydrates and sugars increases significantly. There are many obese vegetarians here. I don’t have any scientific evidence I can quote (though I know that studies have been done) just my observations. You should also be aware that while rice is consumed quite a lot here, it is always combined with large quantities of vegetables and meats. This applies to most of Asia.

    Reply

  • Linda — September 19th, 2010, 11:39 pm

    According to the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, millet is gluten free. Oats used to be off limits for all people with celiac. From the CDC site on the subject of oats “regular, commercially available oats are frequently contaminated with wheat or barley. However, ‘pure, uncontaminated’ oats have recently become available from several companies in the US and Canada. These companies’ process oats in dedicated facilities and their oats are tested for purity. Pure, uncontaminated oats can be consumed safely in quantities < 1 cup per day."
    Be nice to see links and annotations to substantiate your claims.

    Reply

  • Anon — September 19th, 2010, 11:48 pm

    @Rita

    You might want to consider the possibility of a parasite, new research has shown they are often the cause of the late onset allergies and other symptoms you are describing. Just another thought in case the grain-free doesn’t work out.

    Reply

  • Juandsrp — September 19th, 2010, 11:54 pm

    Hey Tim,

    I’m following (i think) your low-carb diet but now after reading this I think I might be doing something I’m not suposed to. Maybe I’m having too much beans, I don’t know.

    Breakfast: 2 Eggs + Tee;
    Lunch and dinner: 100g Beef with 100g canned kidney beans + Tee;
    Glass of wine before sleep.

    Thats every day (except cheating day). Should I change I little bit so I don’t end up eating so much beans?

    Thanks for all your help!

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 20th, 2010, 12:05 am

      Hi Juan,

      If you want to go strict Paleo, you would remove the beans. I think you’re fine. Just supplement with some potassium and magnesium to be on the safe side.

      Good luck!

      Tim

      Reply

  • Esther — September 20th, 2010, 12:04 am

    Hi, I’m just wondering how this diet works for people who have a fructose intolerance and are limited in what fruits and vegies they can eat?

    Reply

  • Mark E. — September 20th, 2010, 12:06 am

    Tim,
    I do not know if I am ready to swallow even half of the sensationalist claims that Robb Wolf makes in this. My personal experience tells me that the effects of can Gluten vary widely depending on the genetic makeup of the person. Also, This flies in the face of what your (Health/Food scientific expert) friend Darya Pino preaches on her blog: SummerTomato, her specific post on the issues of grains is here: summertomato[dot]com/weekday-breakfast-cereal-and-fruit/ You should read that, and follow up with her. If you 2 can come to a mutual agreement and both author a blog post together, on this subject, it could be amazing.

    That being said, I am going to try and follow this diet for 60 days and will get back to you.

    Reply

  • Chris — September 20th, 2010, 12:17 am

    Tim, do you still follow/recommend the bedtime snack of low-fat yogurt per your “relax like a pro” post? (I understand this info from Robb is just another guest post, but I was still curious because yogurt has great nutritional benefits)

    Reply

  • Oscar — September 20th, 2010, 12:24 am

    Tim, after seeing the experience of many people around me and after reading the China study, which I know it’s full of hype but it’s still something difficult to ignore, the diet plan looks suspicious to me. There’s too much meat in there for me to even considering it. What’s your take on that? Do you recommend eating that much meat?

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 20th, 2010, 2:49 am

      Hi Oscar,

      I think it really depends on your sources. Eating factory-farmed stuff is definitely a good way to race to the grave.

      I’ll be putting up an extensive critique of the China Study (the book, not the original monograph) within the next few months. The short answer is, if you get your meat from good sources, ideally local or nearby, I don’t see much of an issue with it. Then again, you’re talking to someone who lives in SF, so I’m very advantaged with food access.

      Good luck, man. My basic approach: take before-and-after blood tests (30 days and 60 days later) and see what actually happens. The research papers hold up surprisingly infrequently on a person-by-person basis.

      Test smart and track yourself and you’ll be just fine.

      Tim

      Tim

      Reply

  • Lis Carpenter — September 20th, 2010, 12:25 am

    I had heard about this Paleo diet, but I thought, what could make it any better than the Atkins’ or South Beach (i.e. other fad diets). I have to sincerely thank you for sharing that information here. I am printing out the article to show my dad who it I step away from diabetes. This is truly life-altering information.

    Reply

  • John Burch — September 20th, 2010, 12:28 am

    Hey guys… for all the people discussing the merits of veganism vs meat eaters and thus shunning Paleo please track back to Robb’s post and the links to the China Study and the protein article…

    My contribution to this discussion is the experiment I’m conducting on myself (follow me here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/YEAR-OF-THE-CAVEMAN/141357209208277?ref=ts)

    All I can say is there is TOO MUCH corn in EVERY product.

    Reply

  • Lumi — September 20th, 2010, 12:30 am

    That’s really interesting, thanks. The main thing putting me off this diet is the surreal amount of meat (fish, chicken, animal products) that is suggested in the meal plans. Eating meat 3-4- times a day is not healthy; it certainly might result to some short term weight loss but it’s just not sustainable in the modern age – not for your body and not for the planet.

    Reply

  • Johnny Jen — September 20th, 2010, 12:31 am

    Tim, I can’t wait until your new book comes out bro!
    As for the Paelo diet, I tried this for 1 month while training MMA and Muay Thai in Thailand (thanks to the 4-hour workweek!) I felt like I had more energy, I lost tons of weight, my muscles were tight and I looked and felt great.

    I’m planning on getting back into the lots of veggies, meat, eggs, and fat diet with zero carbs next week when I go to Thailand again to train for 3 months this time.

    P.S. My Brazillian Jiu-Jitusu instructor, Nicolas from Roger Gracie Sydney has been on the Paelo diet for a few years now and he’s in the best shape out of any guy i’ve ever seen in person.

    Reply

  • Martin Polley — September 20th, 2010, 12:41 am

    OK, grains are bad, nuts are OK (if I understand it right). But what about seeds? Can I eat sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc? Or will those kill me too?

    Reply

  • roro — September 20th, 2010, 12:45 am

    @americans, @tim you already eat enough meat without boosting it to 4 times a day!

    The ultimate diet rule should be: if you dont need it, dont eat it. And you don’t need meat at all. Not even bears which are much more “evolved as carnivores” eat mostly plant food to put on their massive bulk. (polar bears excluded). And look at panda bear canines!

    The human GIT is adaptable to a variety of diets – we can eat pretty much anything and get by, but it is blatently irresposible to promote this much meat consumption considering the price to the environment

    Reply

  • Anant Shiva — September 20th, 2010, 1:03 am

    But rice has been the staple diet for millions of Asians for thousands of years.

    I live in Singapore and I just took a walk outside for lunch to look for food at a coffeeshop. Every single person’s plate was filled with rice or noodles and
    topped with veggies and meat; old people, young people, everyone.

    Are they all gonna die a horrible death?

    That said, I do find that rice makes me tummy feel queasy. I’m going to try the food plan for a month and report the findings!

    Reply

    • WalterB — July 22nd, 2012, 7:11 am

      If you must eat grains small beer is probably the best choice, it’s fermented after all, but beer is very carby.

      Reply

  • J. — September 20th, 2010, 1:06 am

    Fascinating information, thanks.
    I’m curious though, does this also hold true for ancient wheat-breeds (spelt, for instance) made into sourdough bread, i.e. dough that has fermented for 24 hours or more before baking?
    The way I understand it, fermenting changes the whole molecular structure of any foodstuff, and makes it much more suitable for human digestion.
    Also I believe modern wheat-breeds (developed with industrial processing, not health, in mind) have far more aggressive proteins than the old breeds.

    Reply

  • George Mihaly — September 20th, 2010, 1:21 am

    Interesting post on a subject that more people need to be informed about. I’ve got a friend who’s family is Italian and eats LOADS of pasta and gluten. Unfortunately, this friend suffers from irritable bowel syndrome and his older brother (25) recently had part of his intestinal tract removed in order to treat his symptoms.

    I’m sure Tim will talk about protein in his upcoming book, but for people wondering where vegetarians and vegans get their protein (especially if they cut out gluten sources or animal) please watch Tim Van Orden’s youtube video on the “Protein Myth” for a brief on the topic. Tim is a National Champion trail runner, stair climber, and snow shoe runner. He is doing this all on a raw vegan diet. Please watch, learn, and be ignited to research on your own – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae-dlHOmwk4&feature=player_embedded

    Reply

  • Sylwester — September 20th, 2010, 2:07 am

    @Matthew Bailey and Tim

    I’m not Tim but I think there is something true in it.

    Here is my story:

    I tried the PaleoNu.com approach very strict for almost 3 months.
    The result:
    Most of the time I felt like shit (honestly maybe 2 days of the time I felt good that was just at the morning to get up).
    Fatigued and sleepy most of the time, so I thought you have to up your fat intake but it didn’t work either.
    My mood was always aggressive, everyone just annoyed me.

    After two weeks or so I got heavy constipated meaning from 5 days up to 9 days I got no bowel movement (usually it was every day 1 or 2 times) and I ate enough vegs… and when I got some bowel movement my stool was very hard and little like from a rabbit and it took a long time and effort to get even that little shit out of me. Very unpleasant… one time I thought I will die such an ache of my stomach I’ve had never experienced in my life, the next bowel movement was so terrible…first hard stool and then I pissed my ass out, man… okay enough talking of bowel movements.

    I got fattier probably due to my fat intake, from about 11,5% bf to 15%.

    My sport stint fall in the basement and had to reduce it extremely I
    felt like an old man in slow motion, actually everything was in slow motion… even 10 stairs up felt like 1000 knee bends… unbelievable shit I tell you.
    My ratio @Paleo was 60-80%Fat/ 15-25% Protein/ up to 5-10% Carbs.

    My skin was unhealthy and got some blisters on my lips.

    My sleep was prolonged instead shortened.

    At the end where I had to abort this diet I got yellow eyeballs.

    Then I switched on a high carb diet in small steps of course and reduced the other macros of course and felt almost immediately better.

    And you know what? I am type A+ and I think there have to be something true in this blood type diet, red meat makes me feel bad and bloated.

    My ratio now is 65& carbs 15% protein and 10% fat and my diet consists of fruits, vegs, grains, fish, some eggs and some poultry.

    I know the arguments of the diet sounding pretty well, I too didn’t want to believe that after a month on the paleo diet my health went down, and forced myself to keep it up and to tell myself I didn’t adapt yet.

    I talked to many people and have done some research done myslef.
    Every guy with Type O I’ve talked do very well on high meat and fat/little carbs. And A+ just the opposite. But I don’t know how it looks with Type B and AB. So I’m pretty thankful that I am at least Type A+ and finally know what I have to eat :)

    An the argument that mankind couldn’t adapt in such a short time (10.000 years) to grains is not holeproof in my opinion.

    I mean what is the reason that there evolved different blood types? There have to be some connection with food and blood type.
    Maybe just As adapted (or at least tolerate grains much better) than Os.

    Look at the people of bulgaria, russia and so on they eat tons of grain products compared to animal products (except of milk products) and they have the lowest mortality.
    Or read the story of Mikkel Hindhede and there are many other similar stories.

    I don’t believe there is a diet for everyone, there are vegetarian types, protein types and mixed types. See metabolic typing for more information.

    Greetz

    Sylwester

    Reply

    • Frank — November 5th, 2010, 1:00 am

      Well, here’s my 2 cents. I’m A+ as well, did poorly on a vegetarian diet, and great on a paleo, mostly meat diet. I’m not a big fan of fruit at all, and only like a few veges. To me it was a huge relief to not feel like I had to eat fruits and veges, which I don’t much care for. If I have some now, it’s just because I have a taste for it, not because I feel that I HAVE to eat them. My ancestry is German, and although humans have consumed grains for 10k years, that’s only in the middle east. When the Roman Tacitus related the conquest of the Germanic tribes only 2k years ago, they were meat eaters, and he went on and on about their height, strength, health and vigor compared to the wheat eating Roman troops. But what can I say, if the diet didn’t work for you, it didn’t work for you. My bowels are fine, but I don’t think you have to go twice a day to feel good. I like not having all the flatulence I did when I was a vegetarian, and the foul smelling stools. I’ve lost weight on paleo, and gained a ton of weight being a vegetarian for two years. Feel better, sleep better, etc. I am curious if you are Japanese? The blood type diet thing seems to be big there. It doesn’t seem like there’s any scientific evidence for it. Oh, also, the long lived people of the caucases eat a great deal of animal flesh. The one constant the oldest people of the world share is low blood sugar and low insulin. If you can keep your blood sugar in check while still eating grains, great, but I know I sure can’t.

      Reply

    • Ushily — January 18th, 2011, 12:14 pm

      My thought on blood types: you know if one of your parents is blood type 0 and the other parent is A, you will be A. But on closer inspection, you will have one 0 gene and one A gene =A0. The A gene is dominant so your official blood type will be A.

      If both of your parents have A, then you will have AA.

      My question: if you have A0 blood type, wouldn’t it be then better to eat mixed diet of A blood type and 0 blood type?

      Reply

  • Robb Wolf — September 20th, 2010, 2:38 am

    HOLY CATS!

    I’m loading onto a plane going home (4am wake up, 1am if you consider my west coast circadian rhythm) so I’ll do my best. Couple things before I tackle specific questions and issues:
    1-I have quite a number of resources in the book, and I’ll list a number of scientific resources here. If you are sincere in this conversation, please at least read them.
    2-Just give it a shot! Out of any/all of this “paleo” orientation I’d put gluten avoidance at the top of the list. I recommend that folks jump in, give it a shot and see how they look, feel, perform. Do some blood work before and after. Do your biomarkers of health or disease go in a favorable, or unfavorable direction? I recommend the addition of LDL particle sizes, A1c, C-reactive protein and perhaps Leptin. All these are thoroughly explained in the book, I’ve also discussed them in my podcast.
    3-Most of the kick-back to these concepts seem to come from the vegetarian camp. I’d recommend reading “The Vegetarian Myth” for some perspective on issues like sustainability:
    http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/lipid-hypothesis/the-vegetarian-myth/

    So, two primary sources for research include work by Professor Loren Cordain:
    http://www.thepaleodiet.com/published_research/

    And Dr. Steffan Lindberg:
    http://www.staffanlindeberg.com/OurResearch.html

    Dr. Linberg’s research is particularly interesting in that he looks at the health consequences of a hunter-gatherer people, the Kitavans (notice the 100 year old male in the opening page photo on the “Our Research” page for the guy who referenced the supposed short life span of HG’s).

    http://www.staffanlindeberg.com/TheKitavaStudy.html
    The Kitavans, like all HG’s studied were largely free of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and neurological decline typical of western cultures.

    What is particularly interesting about the Kitavan’s is they saw a dramatic decrease in health upon the inclusion of grains to their diet’s. The proposed mechanism? Lectins found in grains which first damage the gut lining, then degrade insulin sensitivity:
    http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6823/5/10

    This was followed-up with a comparison of insulin resistant, type 2 diabetics who ate one of two ways. A grain based “Mediterranean diet” and a grain free paleo diet based on modern foods. The result? The Paleo Diet group completely reversed insulin resistant Type 2 diabetes while the grain based Mediterranean diet saw “no statistical change.”

    http://www.staffanlindeberg.com/DiabetesStudy.html

    That is all largely observational (empirical) information but pretty damn compelling. In the book I detail the specific mechanisms behind insulin resistance and inflammation starting with an understanding of digestion and the hormonal consequences of various foods. In more clear terms, I build, from the round up, the pathophysiology of modern diseases such as cancer (breast, colon prostate…essentially endothelial derived cancers) heart disease, diabetes, autoimmunity, neurodegeneration and infertility. If you have “issue” with the paleo concept then just forget about that and look at the science starting from the molecular level. You will still have no framework from which to assess things, but It’s outside my pay grade to fix that problem!

    Ah, and lest we forget, a great comparison of a transition from HG to agriculture. I detailed this in my book in chapter 2:
    http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/low-carb-diets/nutrition-and-health-in-agriculturalists-and-hunter-gatherers/

    Mark E-
    This is all I’m suggesting…give it s shot. How do you look, feel, and perform? Do your biomarkers improve? Oddly enough, not so sensationalistic a proposition and if I could just get people to TRY this I’d not need all the science. let em know how it goes.

    Esther-
    Fructose intolerance is VERY common in folks with gluten issues:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16967077
    I’d suggest the use of yams, sweet potatoes, and squash such as acorn, spaghetti and similar items. For fruit stick with berries and mellons as they contain less fructose. Limit carbs a bit if you have insulin resistance.

    Juan-
    Agree with Tim. if you want to try ditching the beans for a month in preference to things like yams, give’er a shot.

    Cindy-
    THANK YOU! Not to be a jerk but folks of Asian or Indian descent seem to think they have the market cornered on carbs! My family is from Arkansas…plenty of carbs AND the health of Asian/Indian populations is not as good as most folks assume.

    Ok, my flight is loading. More later.

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 20th, 2010, 2:43 am

      Those people from Arkansas do love them carbs. Long Islanders, too (that’s me). Thanks very much for the detailed response, Robb! Holy cats is right.

      G’night, all,

      Tim

      Reply

  • Jimmy — September 20th, 2010, 2:58 am

    Okay, seriously, I apologize for having offended anyone. I’m really sorry. And I’m even more sorry that some of you took my comments literally, oh my god! I don’t know everything and don’t claim to. But the point I was trying to make is that to a certain degree, everything is bad for you. EVERY human body reacts to things differently. I’m well aware of your meat and egg suggestions of free-range, antibiotic free, etc, etc etc. There are things we will find out in the future that we don’t know right now about ourselves and our bodies so to all the people that are going to make life changing decisions based on this book…good luck. It’s just that it’s not the first time someone will say something, then in the future we may find out it’s wrong. So here’s a crazy idea, how about we enjoy our lives and not always try to make life perfect by being pawns and following whatever fad comes our way. And Tim, sorry for bringing any animosity to your site, it wasn’t my intention.

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 20th, 2010, 2:41 pm

      Jimmy, thanks. I agree with your comment. We know very little. No matter what the changes are that you make (or, even if you don’t make any changes), it’s important to get the occasional blood test. No stress, just tracking every 3-6 months.

      Cheers,

      Tim

      Reply

    • Henrique Sey — June 29th, 2011, 8:14 pm

      I think some people already know that everything is bad for you, to a certain degree. But what’s to be discussed is what’s best for you and what doesn’t have certain awful effects, like gluten, mercury, etc.
      Even our breathing is killing us!
      But, like stress, we all need to get some (food, not gluten), just have it in moderation and from the right sources.

      Reply

  • Freddie Smith — September 20th, 2010, 3:06 am

    Fantastic post guys, I love reading about information that challenges the status quo. I’m going to give this a try straight away. I’ve already printed this article out for various friends who suffer from allergies and constant complaints about digestive problems.

    Very excited about the forthcoming book Tim. If you are ever in London, I will happily buy you a beer… gluten free of course. :D

    Freddie.

    Reply

  • Michael Dingler — September 20th, 2010, 3:13 am

    As with most of the paleo-related health information, I’d like to see a bit more than anecdotes and theory. Some actual decent research would be great.

    I’m a skeptic at heart, and when I see that a lot of this seems to come out of the corner of naturopaths, journalists without scientific trainign (Pollan et al.) or at most individual, practicing MDs, I’m rather relucant to accept that “this fact is”. I’m not accusing anyone of malice or peddling snake-oil (well, maybe the naturopaths), it’s just that this is a rather complicated subject and wrong conclusions or overrating certain facts is rather easy to do. You might be on the cutting edge of new discovieres, living healthy a decade before the general scientific community acknowledges it, sure, but you also might just drink some kool-aid.

    I don’t mind people trying things out, as our individual reactions (positive and adverse) vary a lot, so a lot of diets might help people out, possibly not for the reasons they were invented or the theory they’re based on…

    Reply

  • Zeth — September 20th, 2010, 3:13 am

    Tim, you say soaking legumes in water helps to eliminate most of the anti-nutrients – so I guess anything legumy you buy in a can is decent to eat?

    Cheers,
    Z

    Reply

  • aden — September 20th, 2010, 3:17 am

    “Keep in mind, WGA (or similar molecules) are found in all grains, but it’s my opinion (and that of many other researchers) that wheat, rye, barley, and millet, which are the gluten-containing grains, are likely the worst of the bunch with regard to health.”

    as Linda mentioned above “According to the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, millet is gluten free.”

    I haven’t seen that study, but I have a package of Eden Organic Millet and it says “a Gluten free food”.

    Which set of info can we rely on?

    also as Rita asked “Are sprouts ok?” I have organic quinoa that sprouts very easily but I have some I guess regular quinoa from Roland that I can’t get to sprout. I guess that’s bad news but I have a ton of it. It says it’s pre-washed so maybe that’s why it won’t sprout.

    Also, what effect would nixtamalization have on the grains? Is that what you’re doing by soaking the lentils with baking soda or what purpose does that serve?

    Reply

  • Ethan Brooks — September 20th, 2010, 3:20 am

    Noticed you took your twitter feed off the blog. I trust we’ll hear why soon?

    Reply

  • Dan Cuglairi — September 20th, 2010, 3:58 am

    Awesome, will try this diet out

    With a blood test should I just look at getting a ‘general’ blood test with whatever they usually test for or should I be asking for specific things?

    Reply

  • G.R. Emlin — September 20th, 2010, 4:03 am

    Let’s say for the sake of argument that someone is a vegan purely for ethical reasons and understands the benefits of removing grains, legumes, and dairy from one’s diet.

    Aside from directing them to change their ethical beliefs, what advice would you give them?

    Reply

  • Gideon — September 20th, 2010, 4:07 am

    So potatoes, used sparsely, are not a problem?

    Reply

  • MCG — September 20th, 2010, 4:23 am

    Sorry to be the skunk at the picnic, but I increased my bone density by 15 per cent in a year just by occasional work on the weight machines. In addition, sixty million French people eat French bread two or three times a day, and I haven’t heard about catastrophes like the ones you describe.

    Reply

  • Oscar — September 20th, 2010, 4:41 am

    @Tim, thanks for the reply above. I’ll try the diet for one month.

    Reply

  • Dave — September 20th, 2010, 5:25 am

    While it all looks interesting, I am curious about whether (or where) his data on this diet has been published and what his qualifications are (his site mentions having worked in biochemical research, but not what his actual qualifications are). As someone else pointed out, there is a lot of bad nutritional information out there and nutritionists recommending things which seem, at first light, to make sense, but which later turn out not to have any actual scientific backing to them.

    I’m not trying to be overly critical of Robb here, it’s just that very often these kind of claims can end up being overhyped or exaggerated (intentionally or unintentionally) because of subjective bias, and the use of anecdotes as evidence and claiming to cure such wide ranging disorders are often warning flags about this kind of thing.

    Another questions I would have would be how it compares to other healthy diets and placebo (often people will show large improvements just by being in a clinical trial, and any “better” diet will improve the health of someone who isn’t eating healthily), but this would most likely be answered in any published research Robb did into this (or referenced as part of it)

    Note: To give some clarification as to where I’m coming from with the skepticism, in the UK there was someone who had their own TV show called Gillian McKeith. In the first season she was called “Dr” Gillian McKeith, which was then removed after complaints that she doesn’t actually have an accredited PHD, so isn’t entitled to the “Dr” prefix (and her BSc was in communications, not medicine). She also made claims about doing clinical research, none of which (as far as anyone has been able to find out) has actually been published. There’s been a bunch of other stuff as well (selling a herbal remedy which was banned for sale in the UK) which has left a lot of us in the UK somewhat skeptical about a lot of claims from nutritionists (as opposed to dieticians, which is a protected term similar to the “Dr” prefix and refers to someone with a relevant MD in food and diets).

    Then there’s Matthias Rath who pushes the boat out with his vitamin supplements as a replacement for anti-retrovirals when treating HIV (which, iirc, he also claimed didn’t cause AIDS)

    Again, not saying that Robb is pushing questionable nutritional recommendations like McKeith (and certainly not saying he’s anything like Rath), but the nutritional industry has had it’s credibility shaken pretty badly by people like them. Hence why some of us are wary of sweeping claims about nutritional changes curing (or treating) things like type 1 diabetese

    Oh, and there’s a third response which plants take with seeds which he has missed. Creating enough of them that, even if predators eat the vast majority, they will still be able to propagate, which is present in animals as well as in plants. I have to question his categorising wheat as being in the same category as toxins, since it would take such a long time for it to have an effect that it wouldn’t actually dissuade animals from eating the seeds, and so would have minimal effect in terms of protecting the plant’s seeds (and therefore would seem to have little influence over the evolution of the plant)

    Reply

  • Angela — September 20th, 2010, 5:47 am

    You know this sounds all fancy and stuff. There’s just one problem, I look at the suggested one week worth of food and I either don’t know, or probably don’t like most of it. I’m really picky with food and usually resort to the usual meat/veggie dinner. However breakfast and lunch become a problem. I eat cereals for breakfast and bread for lunch.

    Reply

  • Steve Button — September 20th, 2010, 5:56 am

    This makes so much sense to me, and could answer a lot of problems I’ve been having. I’ve been suffering with Irritable Bowel Syndrome for years now whenever I eat APPLES or more recently anything with thick skins. I have also suffered with Iritis a couple of times (am suffering my second flare up right now, which is why I’m reading this!) and I get a very sore back which might be the start of Ankylosing Sponsilitis. Iritis and AS are both autoimmune diseases. I had already read that many people have seen good results with a low starch diet which I already started a few days ago, and reading this makes it all click into place. I will post back my findings in one month. Just one question, if it’s the gluten and not the starch does this mean that potatoes and rice are OK?

    Reply

  • Peter Demovic — September 20th, 2010, 6:01 am

    Interesting post. In my experience food intake also depends much on what type of activity (if any) you are doing.

    For example, I’ve been involved in mountain duathlon for some time and experimenting with proper diet ever since. I tried pretty much everything from vegeterian to paleo style but neither seemed to work for me.

    Either I had a lots of energy (vegetarian) but my strength went down or other way round (paleo). Then based on the book “The Paleo Diet for Athets” I tried combination of both and for the first time I experienced both, sthrength and endurance increase.

    Here is a small exerpt from the book that pretty much sums up my view on this issue.

    “Training for endurance sports such as running, cycling, triathlon, rowing, swimming, and crosscountry skiing places great demands on the body, and the athlete is in some stage of recovery almost continuously during periods of heavy training. The keys to optimum recovery are sleep and diet.

    Even though we recommend that everyone eat a diet similar to what our Stone Age ancestors ate, we realize that nutritional concessions must be made for the athlete who is training at a high volume in the range of 10 to 35 or more hours per week of rigorous exercise.

    Rapid recovery is the biggest issue facing such an athlete. While it’s not impossible to recover from such training loads on a strict Paleo Diet, it is somewhat more difficult to recover quickly.

    By modifying the diet before, during, and immediately following challenging
    workouts, the Paleo Diet provides two benefits sought by all athletes: quick recovery for the next workout, and superior health for the rest of your life.”

    Reply

  • Shane — September 20th, 2010, 6:30 am

    Tim-

    I stick for the most part to a diet of no grains, breads, or refined sugars. I do supplement with whey protein powder (pre/post workout) and casein protein powder at night. Are these two additions to my diet going to affect me in a negative way? Anybody have any info on this??

    Reply

  • Allen — September 20th, 2010, 6:36 am

    I think too many people confuse gluten intolerance with the larger overall issue of macro-nutrient intake. Most people just aren’t celiacs (roughly 1% of the population). When you drop gluten, go paleo, or just reduce the industrialization in your diet, you usually reduce total calories, simple sugars, low quality fats, and increase protein. This is why Tim can eat cupcakes once a week and still feel great. His diet overall is probably super clean overall and he’s not a celiac. If he was, a weekly dose of gluten would be enough to keep his gut in disarray.

    While I agree with Robb’s recommendations, it’s important to understand all the reasons why the can work. It’s possible to go on gluten free and still eat crap. Substituting grain for other forms of sugar isn’t going to help, nor is substituting dairy and beans for factory farmed beef. This is why two people can try a given diet and get completely different results. The devil is always in the details, and the details are much harder to account for.

    My recommendation? Get at least a ballpark feel for you macro-nutrients. How much sugar, protein, carbs, fat, fiber, calories, etc. are in your average day. Is this optimal? Until you actually track your diet and get some numbers, you are flying blind, and everyone I’ve sat down with to do this is always surprised (massive amounts of sugar, no protein, and often not many calories). While Tim can follow a rough set of rules (slow carb), I’ll bet he’s done the math 12 different ways to know what his diet works averages out to.

    Next up, increase the quality of your food before you worry about anything else. Those silly vegetarians do bring up some good points. For example, while salmon, mentioned above, is actually relatively low in mercury (0.01 ppm) choosing the right salmon is pretty important. The difference between farm raised Atlantic salmon and wild caught Pacific salmon (Chinook, Sockeye, Coho, Chum, Pink) includes PCBs, omega-6 levels (fat), and arachidonic acid (trigger for inflammation). The quality of your beef, chicken, and vegetables can vary in much the same way. Get to know your food.

    Finally I recommend focusing on what you should be eating, not on what you must eliminate. It’s much easier to avoid bad foods when you’re full of good foods. The more spinach you eat the less room there is for donuts.

    Getting some of these details hashed out and the quality up, makes a specific diet, whether it’s paleo or not, much more effective. While we all may not agree on meat content or grains, we can all agree that we haven’t evolved eating ketchup and soda. Even my grandmother knows broccoli is good for you and she doesn’t read scientific journals. Start with that.

    Reply

  • Joe Red — September 20th, 2010, 6:41 am

    Tim,
    Really interesting read, wish I new all this stuff LONG ago. I’ve had serious issues with my digestive tract for some time now, beginning with pancreatitis which the Dr’s chocked up to “unknown cause”, then leading into having to have my gallbladder removed (wish I had done more research before hand) at the GI’s suggestion due to “under functioning”. I’ve also had mild difficulty swallowing since I can remember, as well as GERD for the past 4 years. Now I’ve taken measures and quit alcohol (after the pancreas issues) and adjusted my diet to take in more and more fruits and veggies (not enough, but more mind you) and I’ve started exercising much more but I’m still having intermittent digestive and emotional issues (mild depression and anxiety mainly). I plan on buying this book and getting started to see what happens and was wondering if you had any other suggestions that might help along the way, and if being without a gallbladder will have any effect on my success and living a normal, healthy life. Thanks!

    Reply

  • Tisha Morris — September 20th, 2010, 6:42 am

    How is it that Italians seem to have a healthy lifestyle. I’ve never seen statistics on their health, but it’s got to be better than Americans. Is it just an illusion?
    Nevertheless, they seem to enjoy life more!

    Reply

  • Nick — September 20th, 2010, 6:43 am

    I have to know…how harmful is the malted barley used in the production of beer? Since we are not actually ingesting the grain, is their still a problem. I firmly believe that beer must be good, and if your telling me I can eat meat and vegetables, and I can still enjoy a beer, all while adhering to your diet, than your diet is awesome. Thanks

    Reply

  • chelhamilton — September 20th, 2010, 6:51 am

    Great Post, Tim! I can not tell you the number of the clients who have come to see me for IBS hypnosis, weight management hypnosis, bulima, and pain management hypnosis who’s lives have been dramatically improved by going paleo. It never ceases to amaze me. Seriously. I am so on the Paleo bandwagon and have been for a couple of years now – glad to see you are pretty much too…even with the whole bean thing ;)

    There is one HUGE mistake/miscalculation I think most everyone who looks at or does paleo makes…and even though I DO understand that the above sample menu recommendations come from a very active, weight lifting male who’s protein needs are a bit more intense than your average Joe (or Julia) I wonder if the menu is misleading to others who are less informed too as there are hardly any portion sizes listed above…

    Paleo style eating should be around 80% veggies and fruit; 20% meat, eggs, fish, nuts and insects (yup, insects. they ate insects. not that I eat insects but if you like insects then go for the insects)

    Paleo is LOADS of LEAFY GREEN veggies, some tubers (like carrots), with the occasional meat, egg, nut, and fruit tossed in – according to season. (eggs are a springtime food, nuts are in the autumn, etc) It is NOT meat-heavy like Adkins, and while it may be most suited for a Michael Pollan-esque flexitarian style of eating, because of the amount of green leafiness it can be easily adapted to a veggie/vegan’s needs too.

    The trick, like said above, is to go totally “clean” for at least 30 days and then re-introduce each food to your diet and LISTEN to your body. But you have to listen to it after you’re clean…or it will tell you that what is actually bad for you (like crack) is something that you really really need. Even though you certainly don’t.

    Hmmmm… 80/20? Wonder where I’ve heard that before? ;)

    Reply

    • Amit — July 7th, 2011, 2:48 am

      Absolutely agree with every single word as it resonates with my philosophy. Primarily a blend of Robert young’s ph miracle and primal life style. So do you incorporate suggestions regarding this lifestyle while your clients are in trance with you. :) ..” as you hear the sound of my voice you relax even more…yes……….go deeeper……yes…and you see yourself starting to enjoy a primal life and feel repulsive to grains….yesssssssssssssssssssss” LOL

      Reply

  • Damjan — September 20th, 2010, 6:52 am

    Hi Tim and Robb,

    Great post as always, looking forward to your new book too.

    I hope it will be available in iBooks, Kindle or PDF. Robb’s book is not, and that is really unfortunate as I would buy it immediately.

    Reply

  • Michael Forman — September 20th, 2010, 6:58 am

    What about all of the gluten-free bakery products we see nowadays? King Arthur Flour recently launched a whole line of gluten-free products:

    http://www.kingarthurflour.com/glutenfree/

    It’s still made from grains, and it’s still bread. Is it too good to be true? It would certainly make it a lot easier to gut gluten out of ones diet.

    Reply

  • Imogen — September 20th, 2010, 7:42 am

    I’m new to the concept of the paleo diet, but have been working on eliminating gluten. A book I found very helpful (for those of us who are resistant to giving up breads and other baked treats) is “The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook” by Elana Amsterdam. Using just almond flour and eggs to replace starch you can make a surprising number of replications of tradional wheat-flour based goods, which can really help ease the transition into a new way of eating. I made a carrot cake and a savoury kale/egg tart, complete with believable pastry crust. Both were delicious. She uses agave nectar for sweetening; not sure how that rates on the paleo, but as I said, it’s a good bridge if you want to ‘cross over’. Most of her recipes are dairy-free as well. It may just be a crutch, but hey, a crutch is sometimes necessary on the road to recovery!

    Reply

  • Dave Ridarelli — September 20th, 2010, 7:51 am

    I cranked up my Paleo commitment level last week by switching out my morning oats and whey for an omelet. I’ve been feeling great & this weekend I actually had a dream where I ate about fifteen slices of bacon. Something Must Be Working Right…

    Reply

  • Jon — September 20th, 2010, 7:58 am

    Great article. I found out I was gluten intolerant a few years ago. I cut out gluten altogether and feel so much better! Everyone should be aware that gluten is contained in many of our staple foods here in the West, and only we have the power to do something about it!

    Reply

  • Jeremy — September 20th, 2010, 8:11 am

    Tim,
    When are you coming out with your book on health, nutrition, etc.?
    If you wanted to “cleanse” your body and colon, what would you use? (there is so much on the market right now)

    Thanks for this post, great info.

    -Jeremy

    Reply

  • Andrew S — September 20th, 2010, 8:20 am

    Tim – I’m a huge fan but this could be a damaging post. A research bio-chemist and editor for a Nutrition magazine doesn’t warrant expertise in this field. You can be considered a nutritionist if you work at GNC. In the US a Registered Dietitian is the authority on nutrition and any deviation from this is dangerous. I know because my wife is an RD consultant for the state of NC WIC training program.

    It is important to note that Celiac disease is an inherited, autoimmune disease in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged from eating gluten and other proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats. What would be considered “other proteins”? Corn, as mentioned, can also have negative effects considering corn since HFCS is in everything we eat (as mentioned in Food Inc.).

    What is important about this article is the meal plan. It consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts and small amounts of lean protein. This should be the framework of any healthy diet. It didn’t appear there were any MILK products in his meal plan.

    I’d recommend reading the chapter on “Energy” in Anthony Robbins book, Unlimited Power. Anthony concludes that MILK contains proteins that also damage the lining of the small intestines. Even Gandhi’s daughter in-law, Jawaharlal Nehru, states this… Take care of the membrane of your intestines and it will take care of you.

    Everyone is looking for ONE thing to solve all our problems and as you know it takes time and the process of elimination is what will work best. As humans, we originally ate lots of fruit, nuts, vege’s and protein. Focus on those foods and you are on your way to becoming super human.

    IN regards to this article…
    Section – “Alex, Age Five” – It appears he ate YOGURT. Nothing in the article states he is no longer eating MILK products – just Robb’s recommendations. I’m guessing he doesn’t eat milk products any longer.

    Reply

    • Liz — November 3rd, 2010, 12:32 pm

      A dear friend, pregnant with twins and having half a pancreas, was just advised by an RD to eat…bagels, triscuit, and bread to manage her insulin. Goal was blood sugars below 120. The RD’s reccommendations put her sugars above 140. Swapping out all the grains for sweet potato and a Paleo-esque diet brought sugars below 100. Tell me that an RD is a trustworthy authority? They’re only as educated as an institution receiving state (government) credentials could be. The ones that look outside their curriculum are rare.

      Reply

    • Brandon Nolte — November 8th, 2010, 1:14 pm

      So, you knock Wolf for being a research bio-chemist and editor for a Nutrition magazine, and then you suggest that we read Anthony Robbins? I love Anthony Robbins, but I’m pretty sure he’s not a Registered Dietitian either.

      Reply

    • Arun — December 21st, 2010, 7:58 am

      @Andrew: “Even Gandhi’s daughter in-law, Jawaharlal Nehru, states this…”[sic]

      please don’t blindly quote stuff, Jawaharlal Nehru was a man and the first prime minister of India! Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were both stalwarts in Indian national struggle for independence. In my sight, you lost your entire credibility on this one thing!

      Reply

      • DevKumar — April 3rd, 2011, 7:35 am

        He got mixed-up. He is referring to Maneka Gandhi who is grand–daughter-in-law of JL Nehru. and daughter-in-law of Indira Gandhi. Her column on animal-rights, vegetarianism, diet and related issues is syndicated in various Indian newspapers.

        Dev

        Reply

  • Dan — September 20th, 2010, 8:23 am

    Rob,
    I appreciate the insight, but I my critique is that you gave a lot of contrarian information without any citing in the blog post. As a science geek, I’d like to read some of the articles that your findings are based from. Can you please post or direct message some of your primary sources?

    Thanks.

    Reply

  • Fanfan — September 20th, 2010, 8:32 am

    Ok but now i am quite confused, not saying that the article doesnt make sense but it is contradictory to some dietitian that recommend to eat freshly grinded cereals as they have kept all their good nutrients (vitamins, etc). basically in a few hrs flours are just dead gluten and harmful. now are freshly grinded grains beneficial
    read : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Kousmine

    Reply

  • Michael — September 20th, 2010, 8:43 am

    Rob/Tim, After I wrote my comment last night, I realized I had two components of my diet that I am really unsure about.

    The first one is my whey and casein powders. I drink optimum nutrition whey after workouts and their casein before bed. Are these protein isolates as harmful as eating/drinking dairy products such as milk and cheese?

    The second one is peanut butter. I know peanuts are a legume, and I usually eat natural peanut butter that doesn’t have sugar added to it, but how does it rank on the scale of things with gluten, etc?

    Thanks for your time,

    Michael

    Reply

    • Johanna — October 17th, 2011, 6:33 pm

      Hi Tim and Robb,

      I noticed some confusion in your blog about which grains actually contain gluten. Here are three sentences from your text:

      “Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye oats, and barley”

      ” [W]heat, rye, and barley, which are the gluten-containing grains…”

      “[G]luten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and millet”

      Wheat, rye, and barley contain gluten. Oats do not contain gluten, but do contain a protein similar to gluten. Oats are also often cross-contaminated with gluten-containing grains as they are shipped, processed, etc on the same equipment. “Gluten-free oats” are oats where precautions have been taken to avoid cross-contamination. Millet does not contain gluten.

      You may want to straighten this out in your blog,

      Take care,
      Johanna

      Reply

  • Steve S — September 20th, 2010, 8:45 am

    Thanks for the reply Tim.

    Quick question for you or Robb. Regarding blood values, what testing do you recommend? I have had an IGE Blood test for food allergies recently, which all came back under the positive threshold for any allergies. However, I also have heard of an IGG test that monitors the prolonged effect over several days of the potential allergens. At least this is how it was explained to me.

    What type of traditional testing do you recommend outside of food elimination from your diet? Thanks again! Great article!

    Reply

  • Sean Ring — September 20th, 2010, 8:52 am

    Tim,

    You’ve surpassed yourself once again! Thanks for the great post. I’m going to get hopping on this right away…

    All the best,

    Sean

    Reply

  • Michaela — September 20th, 2010, 8:55 am

    I could not be happier to see the collaboration between Tim and Robb. I’ve been eating this way for about 4-5 months, and could not be more thankful to the work that Robb is doing to spread the word.

    Robb’s podcasts are also very informative as well. Make sure to check them out if you have more interest and questions.

    Reply

  • Raj — September 20th, 2010, 9:08 am

    Tim is a jerk for posting this article. After reading Robb’s excellent explanation I can no longer eat grains or grain like food without feeling guilty :(

    Robb, why didn’t you do a seminar while you were in T.O last week?

    Lastly re people from the Indian sub continent, we have higher rates of heart disease and diabetes than other ethnic groups.

    Reply

  • Chris — September 20th, 2010, 9:11 am

    first – Tim, thanks for sharing this.

    Robb – I have been a fan of yours for years in the Crossfit community and have to say congratulations on coming this far with your book and the massive attention its receiving. I have been torn between Zone and Paleo for some time, but with evidence like this its irrefutable.

    Reply

  • Dennis — September 20th, 2010, 9:15 am

    I just took a class on edible wild plants. One of the basic staples: grass seed. We gathered it to include with dinner. Some we ground and cooked, some we ate raw. Strip right off the stalk, pop in mouth.*

    Of course grains are just domesticated grasses.

    So it appears that humans did actually evolve eating grains, unless for some strange reason they ignored a readily available food source.

    This doesn’t mean that all that stuff about glutens isn’t true. Lots of things are tradeoffs. I just wish “paleodiet” people would actually learn something about primitive hunting and gathering before making some of their claims.

    (Others: l’ve seen claims that long-distance running isn’t “paleo,” while anthropologists are saying that humans are some of the planet’s best endurance runners and used to spend days running down wild game. And don’t get me started on “paleos” who eat bacon and dairy…I’m still waiting to see how one goes about milking a wild bison.)

    * Almost all grass seeds in the U.S. are edible, but a few in the Southwest are not. Individual seeds that are purple and two or three times bigger than normal are infected with a poisonous fungus.

    Reply

  • ParisLove — September 20th, 2010, 9:17 am

    Most likely the cause of all the gluten intolerance that Americans are experiencing has more to do with the way our food is produced, not that our bodies aren’t designed for eating grain type products. If gluten were really the source of our ailments, then why has this only recently shown up as a medical condition in the last 20 years or so while humans have been consuming wheat, barley, rye and oats for ten thousand years or more?

    One would need to look at other environmental factors such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides used in industrial grain production, the processing of the grains before being turned into pre-packaged foods, as well as the combination of other ingredients that could cause negative reactions on the molecular level (such as process oils like corn, safflower and canola. Don’t even get me started on HFCS or other chemical flavor enhancers).

    It is a little known fact that lactobacillus, a beneficial bacteria, is missing in most industrially produced bread products. It is part of the fermentation process of the flour and yeast, breaking down the proteins and amino acids into a digestible form for humans. The main place the lactobacillus is found is on human skin. So, in the old days, when mom would bake bread, kneading it with her bare hands, she was not just getting a good workout, her hands were actually a necessary process of the culturing of the bread through the yeast and lactobacillus.

    Just like those that are lactose intolerant can usually consume yogurt or kefir without any problems, the same may be true of those who eat home baked breads.

    Those with celiac disease are suffering an autoimmune condition. It isn’t unlike an allergy to nuts or seafood or any of the more common food allergies, and shouldn’t be taken lightly. My main concern is that those that do not suffer from celiac may be restricting their dietary choices and eliminating a very healthy food and great source of folic acid and b complex vitamins from their diets.

    The jury is still out on this topic, and I think it will prove in the end to be just another diet craze like the low fat 80′s and low carb 90′s. In the meantime, I’ll keep baking bread at home. No bread machine needed.

    Reply

  • MarcoB — September 20th, 2010, 9:17 am

    The Paleo Diet is a great Muse and wonderful niche marketing. That’s about it. It is not the answer for everyone and if you don’t want to give up pasta just limit the portion size. It is not killing you. Stress is a much better indicator of lifespan. Worrying about a cup of pasta is not healthy.

    Reply

  • Darrin — September 20th, 2010, 9:18 am

    Awesome. I’ve been listening to Robb’s podcast for a while now and am looking forward to picking up a copy of his new book. Most health gurus tend to have really good content for either nutrition or exercise, but rarely both. Robb’s definitely a go-to guy for it all.

    Reply

  • Charles Polanski — September 20th, 2010, 9:19 am

    He seems to demonize dairy products but I wonder if he has considered the harm that pastuerization, homogenization and grain feeding cows has done to our dairy supply. If you have cows that feed on organic grass in outdoor lovely settings and then their milk is kept raw and organic it doesn’t have many of the harmful effects prescribed to dairy products over the years. I highly recommend the book “The Untold Story of Milk” to all including Tim Ferriss and Robb Wolf. See reviews here and more: http://www.amazon.com/Untold-Story-Milk-Revised-Updated/dp/0979209528 and visit the author’s website. He is an MIT graduate who has learned the amazing health giving effects of raw, organic, grass-fed cow milk (other animals work well also): http://www.drrons.com/

    Reply

  • Andrew K — September 20th, 2010, 9:20 am

    I wonder how sprouted grains compare to the ones that the article talks about.. Or if it doesn’t matter and “all grains are bad”

    Reply

  • Norman — September 20th, 2010, 9:21 am

    Hey Tim and Robb

    I’ve just started working with Martin Berkhan’s concepts (with excellent results) and would love some input on carb intake as it relates to the 30 day test suggested by Robb. lifting/cycling 4 days per week so, obviously need some carbs. Mostly fruit? Spuds?

    I’m sure you’ll cover much of this in the book but in the mean time?

    Thanks

    Norman

    Reply

  • Ann Hume — September 20th, 2010, 9:21 am

    Your article was really helpful. I’ve been struggling with weight loss, hypothyroidism (for years), just recently found out I have osteoporosis (at 40) and a host if other health issues. Of course, I’m addicted to rice, pasta and breads. AND I’m a vegetarian. 

    My question to you is, what if I don’t eat eggs, dairy or poultry or meat? (my diet is mostly soy, beans and plant based)

    What are my options?

    What are my other options?

    Reply

  • Berit Anderson — September 20th, 2010, 9:22 am

    Hey, Tim, I train Brazilian Jiujitsu four to six days a week. I’ve been doing it for about twelve years now and I’m always battling overtraining syndrome. One of the ways I cope with it is that I watch my diet extremely carefully, but I would be terrified to go without grains. Have you been doing jiujitsu while going without grains? I only weigh 117 pounds so I always feel I’m in danger of getting crushed, injured, destroyed if I’m not in perfect condition and if my eating isn’t completely geared toward the sport. Since you do BJJ, I thought you might have some insight….but remember, I’m little (crushable) (and the guys I train with aren’t).

    Reply

  • Berit Anderson — September 20th, 2010, 9:22 am

    Make that “I’ve trained BJJ” please! Thanks.

    Reply

  • Toni Mar — September 20th, 2010, 9:25 am

    Tim, Look forward to your book. As a biologist, in particular however, I hope that you don’t make the mistake of considering a vegetarian diet as being comprised of fish, as if they are neither produce or a byproduct of an animal. You seem too intelligent to do that but one of you comments made me worry. If people want to eat fish, that’s value-free but if their flesh are not considered animal meat, I am concerned about our basic knowledge.

    People often seem to become evangelical and even snarky with one another about diet issues. But Tim, I think your comment about Jimmy, in saying “I do agree that your “nonsense” attack is a bit too strong, though” is disrespectful in itself. What is so ‘nonsens’ical about the fact that typical meat consumption is consistent with what he is saying. Why else would you and others be advocating for other sources of meat? Jimmy deserves an apology from several others on here; I don’t agree with him but respect, people.

    Reply

  • Steve — September 20th, 2010, 9:25 am

    Well, Gluten-free/Paleo sure is the current diet bandwagon. Congratulations for capitalizing on that. It seems like half of my kids’ friends at school are “gluten-free.” Is this really a problem for so many people all of a sudden? I doubt it. Nobody was “gluten-free” 20 years ago.

    This diet will work though. If you cut one of the primary sources of calories out of your diet, unless you find a way to completely substitute it with something else, you will lose weight.

    Perhaps “Paleo” humans ate very little grain, but humans were consuming some grain as early as 23,000BP, and humans in the Fertile Crescent were harvesting and consuming a wide variety of grains and lentils around 9000 BCE. I think most of us have adapted by now.

    By the way, paleolithic humans also ate insects, maybe we should start incorporating that in our diets. The supply is plentiful, and perhaps we’re missing some important health benefits.

    Reply

    • WalterB — October 4th, 2012, 11:11 am

      In evolutionary time 100K years is instantaneous.

      And yes, we probably should include more insects into our diet. In the mean time more shell fish as they are closely related.

      Reply

  • Charles Polanski — September 20th, 2010, 9:26 am

    Oh and one more note, a company who has pasture-fed (grass) organic raw milk is Organic Pastures but they can only delivery within California due to FDA regulations… (ahem)… but as a quick response to Robb Wolf’s mention that dairy has protease inhibitors, according to Organic Pastures, their raw, organic, pasture fed cow milk is filled with protease along with many other powerful and useful enzymes that aid digestion and the body… More info here: http://www.organicpastures.com/faq.html I’m always trying to learn more so if there is a problem with this milk I’d really like to know but from my ongoing research it appears to be an amazing food.

    Reply

  • romesaz — September 20th, 2010, 9:36 am

    I noticed Mark’s books have been mentioned already, but no one pointed out the blog/site. Definitely a wealth of knowledge and an amazing community.

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com

    (no, I’m not affiliated in any way, it’s just helped me change my lifestyle for the better.)

    Reply

  • James Cooper — September 20th, 2010, 9:41 am

    WOW! Check the fire storm about this topic.

    Tim, nice headline, how many likes will this yield!?

    I must say I’ve only really dipped my toe into the diet world (I’ve always been fit and healthy) however, one key thing I have found is the extra energy that comes from an increase in veg and a decrease in pasta/bread.

    More energy = more achieved = more fun. So, I’m down with that.

    Reply

  • Jenn B — September 20th, 2010, 9:48 am

    Great article! Can’t wait to read the whole book. I can’t help but wonder if my mother had been told to drastically change her diet, if she’d still be alive today. She was obese, had type 2 diabetes, hypothyroidism, kidney disease and was depressed. She passed away a few years short of her 50th birthday. I’m going to blog about this today…everyone needs to read this article.

    I also can’t help but wonder…if not for CF, would I have ever learned about changing my diet? I did 30 days 100% paleo 3 months ago, and average 90% now. I had added bread back in once a day (more than that and I’d bloat up) but now I’m not doing that any more. I’m incredibly grateful to this community.

    Reply

  • Darus — September 20th, 2010, 9:51 am

    Can you help me understand this?

    Why would the average life expectancy have gone up so much if our diets are now so horrible?

    Why are we so much taller now than these ancient peoples if our diet is so damaging?

    Reply

    • Fernando — July 6th, 2012, 7:09 am

      Hi

      Life expectancy is due to Medicine (you know antibiotics?) and life style (I dont kill wild animals twice a week).

      Regarding Height: please have a look at hunters-gatherers bones…

      Reply

  • Robertson — September 20th, 2010, 9:59 am

    Hi Tim & Rob,

    My diet as of today has brown rice and rolled oats, as of tomorrow they will be cut out as well. The differences I have felt since I cut out wheat and sugar have been amazing. My body fat has decreased significantly and my energy level remains constant, which, as a med student is a feat on it’s own.

    I treat myself to 85% dark chocolate (thoughts on this?) and am a coffee lover, what do you suggest I use to add to my coffee as a milk alternative?

    Thanks.

    Rob.

    Reply

  • Jack Sprat — September 20th, 2010, 10:06 am

    I recommend the book, the Primal Blueprint, by Mark Sisson over Robb Wolf’s book – same topics, but more accessible writing style. I also highly recommend marksdailyapple.com. I have been eating Primal/Paleo for a year and have the best energy and physique of my life.

    Reply

  • ElleX — September 20th, 2010, 10:06 am

    Tim, wonderful post!

    Reply

  • Mike T Nelson — September 20th, 2010, 10:10 am

    Hi there Tim (and Robb)

    First off, I appreciate you running this piece and getting more information out to everyone.

    I agree that in SOME people, grains, carbs and other “off limit” foods are an issue. My wife has some gluten intolerance and having her avoid gluten for now has resulted in massive changes.

    I do have to side with Tim on this one, that he does a whole day of “eating whatever he wants” which is great.

    The goal, as I see it, should be a very flexible metabolism (Metabolic Flexibility). Your body should be able to take any food and turn it into fuel without many “side effects” (wacky blood numbers, lack of energy, low levels of muscle, etc).

    If someone is very Metabolically Flexible, they should be able to process evil grains too.

    As Tim points out, this must be tested on an individual basis.

    I work with my athletes/clients to get them to eat a wider variety of foods with fewer issues (more metabolically flexible).

    I feel this is a great marker of health and ironically closer to the situation of early humans. If early humans found ANY food source they would eat it and eat as much of it as possible. It would not be an advantage if that food source caused them issues.

    Rock on
    Mike T Nelson PhD(c)

    Reply

  • charles gallagher — September 20th, 2010, 10:11 am

    So I’m guessing that sprouted whole grain bread (Ezekiel) is not so great either?

    Reply

  • Max — September 20th, 2010, 10:12 am

    Can you drink Kool-Aid while on this diet?

    Reply

  • Dave — September 20th, 2010, 10:12 am

    Are dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese, etc.) gluten free?

    Additionally, as a poor college student eating meat and other gluten-free products is EXPENSIVE. If I simply reduce the amount of gluten out of my eating by 20-30% will I see an improvement?

    Thanks, and great post!

    Reply

  • aden — September 20th, 2010, 10:15 am

    earthly delights quinoa says on their site:
    http://www.truetothefruit.com/quinoa.html

    Earthly Delights Quinoa is prewashed , so no further rinsing is required to remove the saponin. The coating makes the grain unappealing for birds eat while still on the plant. While our Quinoa is pre-washed you should still always place the product in a strainer prior to cooking and rinse thoroughly.

    i have emailed them for comment on the claims of this post

    Reply

  • Paleo meets the Four Hour Work Week! — September 20th, 2010, 10:27 am

    [...] everyone! Just wanted to direct you to a recent post made by Tim Ferris of Four Hour Work Week fame. Time was kind enough to review the Paleo Solution and post an excerpt from the chapter on [...]

  • tim — September 20th, 2010, 10:27 am

    Tim,

    Do you have any knowledge about the drink Kombucha? It is touted as a cure all miracle drink usually mentioned by people in the quinoa camp. (I was one of them)

    Thanks!

    Reply

  • Devin Ford — September 20th, 2010, 10:37 am

    Great Stuff!!! Tim and Robb, awesome combo here! Us long islanders sure do love our carbs, but no more! Strict Paleo works like a charm guys, give it a shot! See for yourself!

    Reply

  • Jeff — September 20th, 2010, 10:55 am

    Hey Tim,

    I am a professional athlete that ways 270 pounds and I am wondering what I can do to avoid grains and still keep my weight. I have avoided gluten in the off-season and have had amazing results. But it’s a little harder to do doing the season when a lot of times I have to eat practically everything just to maintain weight. Thank you for your time.

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 20th, 2010, 2:05 pm

      Hey Jeff,

      I’d suggest seeing Robb’s response here in the comments on Footballers using Paleo + dairy. I also think that adding in tubers, yams, etc. could work well. 270 lbs! Damn, that’s a big unit! I’m a wee 180 :)

      Good luck!

      Tim

      Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 20th, 2010, 2:09 pm

      I’d suggest seeing Robb’s response here in the comments on Footballers using Paleo + dairy. I also think that adding in tubers, yams, etc. could work well. 270 lbs! Damn, that’s a big unit! I’m a wee 180 :)

      Good luck!

      Tim

      Reply

  • msaheb — September 20th, 2010, 11:08 am

    The article is very informative and I believe useful for many and specially those who are grain intolerant. Appreciate Rob and Tim for bringing it up.

    My two cents on this:

    The ideal way to eat grains and lentils is by sprouting or germinating.
    This will convert nutrients into much more absorbable form at the same time increasing the nutritional value by a ton and also potentially reducing the toxins. There is lot of research that supports this.

    Vegans: no need to get scared by reading this article. I can speak for Indians and we always soak the dried lentils before cooking and its just a little more waiting to sprout them.

    As Tim suggested some people use neutralizers(baking soda, lime/lemon juice, apple cider vinegar) while soaking the lentils which will reduce the hard to digest aspects of the lentils and thus promote their absorbability.

    Now a days you can get sprouted bread (check out the foodforlife website) which I would think gives the better of grains if not the best.

    There is another important aspect of digestion that this article does not address: Food combining. This is one of the root causes why so many people in this country have digestive issues like IBS, Chrons disease, Acid Reflux etc. Simply stated, it is the science/art of combining foods that are complimentary to each other during the digestion process and do not cancel each others out.
    you can read more than this at this site: google for Greate Taste No Pain system and follow any link. The author is a nutriitional excerpt like Rob.

    Cheers..

    Reply

  • Daniel — September 20th, 2010, 11:11 am

    @Robb
    Very interesting post. I read it during breakfast today and I’ve been thinking about it all day. I’m a vegetarian, I don’t eat that much grain but I will try to cut it for at least 1 month to see how it works. It’s a bit wired because of the long time humans have been eating and cultivating grain, but your reasoning about the grain not “wanting” us to eat it does make sense.

    However, the reason I write this comment is that I checked the links you gave in the comments, especially the one to Michael Eades’ blog on the book “The Vegetarian Myth”. The author of the book talks about sustainability and avoiding suffering and how bad agriculture is. It seems to be that she wrote the book without thinking about they how animals are actually raised. If we eat more meat, we need more animals. More animals = more food = more agriculture. Her reasoning assumes that animals come out of thin air when we actually have to produce more grain to feed them, use more water to clean, etc.

    Reply

  • Fred — September 20th, 2010, 11:12 am

    I just cringe every time I hear about eating ‘what we evolved to eat’. This is a not a scientific argument. We didn’t evolve to live a long time. Evolutionary arguments to PRESCRIBE diet are fallacious. Evolution is used to explain things learned from separate research, you can invoke it to explain the need for a particular vitamin for example, but it is not prescriptive.

    Reply

  • Sue Swift — September 20th, 2010, 11:13 am

    This is basically phase 1 of the South Beach diet, which was developed by a cardiologist. It does work for weight loss and general health. As a pescatarian, I find it reasonably easy. I focus on eating a lot of protein–maybe three (well-cooked) eggs daily plus a fair amount of nuts and low-fat dairy.

    The most difficult aspect of any new diet, especially if restrictive, is keeping it interesting. So I also focus on big flavor, accomplished through heavy use of fresh herbs, salsas and the like.

    Reply

  • Robb Wolf — September 20th, 2010, 11:13 am

    Norman-
    Martin is s super sharp guy, you will do well using his methods. I wrote a few good pieces for the performance menu years ago on IF:
    http://www.performancemenu.com/zen/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=168

    I always like to ask “who are you, what are your goals?” before making a recommendation like you are asking for. This stuff can be made far more specific with a little more information.

    Andrew-
    Sprouts reduce some anti-nutrients, increase some others. they are NOT indicated for autoimmunity:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3155617
    I know everyone loves Ezekial bread but I’m not really a fan.

    Chris-
    here is a nice perspective on Paleo Vs. Zone:
    http://robbwolf.com/2009/08/22/laura-demarco-the-whole-enchilada/
    Synopsis: High level Zone athlete ditches Zone, goes paleo and crushes previous bests…all while dropping the insanity of weighing and measuring every meal. Maybe it’s because I was a chemist but I’d shoot myself before weighing my food.

    Steve-
    It all depends on how deep your pockets are. We could run up thousands of dollars of blood work for you that a simple elimination diet conveys free of charge other than the time/effort invested. Allergy screening only considers one slice of the immune response…if you have not consumed gluten for a week or two you will likely be “negative” in the WGA antibody screens, so it’s recommended that you consume the offending food so you can score a positive?! Seems odd to me. I really just recommend the tests I mentioned previously for folks who are critical/suspicious of the whole concept.

    Michael-
    I’m not a fan of protein powders. I wish I was as I get a ton of traffic to my site and could sell the heck out of them. It is rare the instance that I see them out perform real food. If someone is on a mass gain plan eat paleo and do a gallon of whole milk each day. Cheaper, better. Check out john Welbourn and CrossFit Football for examples of big powerful athletes using paleo + dairy:
    http://talktomejohnnie.com/
    http://www.crossfitfootball.com/
    here are some sample meal plans. you don’t need the book or your supps!!
    http://robbwolf.com/faq/#mealplans

    Peanuts, although delicious are also highly atherogenic. But if it’s a question of peanut butter or hookers & cocaine…well, just use your best judgement.

    Dan-
    The links to Cordain and Lindgerg’s sites are two of the richest sources for information. A pubmed search of “evolutionary medicine, paleo diet, hunter gatherer” all bear great return. Also, if you are truly geeked on this stuff you MUST read Frank Booths paper on exercise and gene expression:

    http://jp.physoc.org/content/543/2/399.full

    This is THE primer on Epigenetics and the influence our ancestral energy expenditure had in forming our genetics. If you have specific area of interest (autoimmunity, epigenetics, metabolism) let me know and I can throw you more specifics.

    Allen-
    I have to completely disagree with you. Folks are reversing autoimmunity by removing grains and eating “factory farmed beef.” Is it ideal? Absolutely not, but pulling the “everything in moderation” card does no one any favors. Meat, seafood, veggies, fruit, tubers, good fats. That’s what I’m recommending, that’s what is working.

    Dan Cugliari-
    I mentioned above the add-on blood work. I also go into nauseating detail in the book.

    Anant-
    Rice and corn do contain high proline protein similar to gluten but I’d put their danger much below that of gluten. That said, the Okinawans are a nice example of a diet that was historically NOT based on grain (main carb source was a nutrient dense tubber) and they were taller and healthier than the general Japanese population due to higher protein and lower anti-nutrient intake. And again, simple experimentation is quite compelling in the end.

    One more plane ride, then I’m home!!

    Reply

    • heuristic — November 21st, 2010, 1:48 pm

      Robb Wolf writes:
      “Peanuts, although delicious are also highly atherogenic. But if it’s a question of peanut butter or hookers & cocaine…well, just use your best judgement.”

      The problem with that statement is that it is inumerate: when one looks for information about finding a percentage increase in death from heart disease in humans as a function of eating a definite quantity of peanuts then there is no such information (at least that I’ve been able to find).

      I had a look at the cited studies in which a correlation was found between peanut consumption and build-up of atherosclerotic plaque. They fed the experimental animals a diet containing a large amount of peanut oil and later dissected them and found that there was more atherosclerotic plaque in the coronory arteries than in the controls.

      There is nothing in the studies that allows a person to make a rational translation of the results to his own situation. How do the results of a rat being overfed with peanut oil translate to a person eating a tablespoon of peanut butter per day? No-one knows.

      Since there is no scientific evidence that allows one to quantify the risk then there is no scientific justification for prohibiting the consumption of peanuts. In other words, if you’re already enjoying your tablespoon of peanut butter per day there is no scientific justification to stop. To do so would be neurotic rather than scientific.

      A scientific result that was actually useful might come from a so-called longitudinal study: the tracking of a human population over time and analyzing for correlations between dietary factors and health.

      Along those lines, all I was able to find were results that found that the consumption of nuts (not just peanuts) had net health benefits. For example, The Nurses Health Study found over a twenty year period that women who consumed at least one ounce of nuts per week were 25% less likely to develop gallstones. A study published in the journal Obesity of people 8865 over a 28 month period found that the subjects who ate nuts at least twice a week were 31% less likely to gain weight. Also, peanuts are rich in niacin, and a study of 3000 men 65 years or older found that those getting 22 mg of niacin per day were 70% less likely to develop Alzheimers than those consuming 13 mg per day.

      Of course none of those studies relate directly to risk of heart disease but what they do is to give a person a scientific basis on which to evaluate the pros and cons of consuming peanuts. Robb Wolf’s hyperbole and the studies that he cites provide no basis on which to decide anything.

      Now getting away from actual the actual science I wouldn’t be surprised if a person’s mental state is a far more important risk factor in developing heart disease than a handful of peanuts per day. In other words people who are so neurotic that they go to dietary extremes on the basis of what they read on an Internet Doctor’s, and coincidentally book-selling author’s, blog, are probably going to die sooner from a heart attack than more easy going and slower to react people.

      So pass me the peanuts, thank you.

      Reply

      • synthesize — March 5th, 2012, 4:14 am

        I agree. While hyperbole and oversimplification garner attention, they also obscure important nuances of the big picture, namely, that net benefit is what’s most important to consider. A food Robb recommended to avoid, quinoa, is an example of this. The presence of saponins on the outer seed coat alone is not a valid reason to discard what many consider to be a superfood due to its impressive nutritional profile. If not already cleansed by the manufacturer, simply cleansing in a strong alkaline solution and rinsing are enough to remove most of the saponin residue. Even if a tiny amount should remain, it’s reasonable to conclude that due to its net health benefit, it warrants a place in a healthy diet, despite Robb’s characterization of it being a “hippy” food that should be avoided.

        Reply

    • Jamie — December 7th, 2010, 7:53 pm

      Do NOT recommend drinking a whole gallon of milk every day.

      My friend used to drink a lot of milk (somewhere between five and eight glasses) every day and it caused calcium to build up in his salivary glands. Now he has to poke them whenever the saliva gets “stuck”.

      While milk is good, remember there can always be too much of a good thing.

      Reply

  • Anthony — September 20th, 2010, 11:15 am

    I would also like to hear Robb’s take on sprouted grains.

    On a side note, I am a Creationist believing everything was designed and not evolved much over a period beyond 10s of thousands of years…but I am a rational engineer with a strong background in science and I enjoyed Robb’s logic here.

    I have always been a big fan of the Ezekial 4:9 sprouted grain bread. It comes from a Bible verse and provides a complete amino acid profile. Not gluten free but it is using the grain in a different way.

    It would be cool to see this diet approach, developed from one perspective (evolution) reconcile completely with Biblical examples. Come to think of it, if you believe that the Garden of Eden was perfect then the hunter/gatherer approach does make perfect sense.

    Just not sure on the sprouted grains part…I guess I will have to research it a bit.

    Thanks for the post.

    Reply

  • Becky — September 20th, 2010, 11:17 am

    I’ve read about halfway through the comments here, and want to chime in with my own results. This came out long… I hope some of you find it helpful.

    About a year ago, I quit gluten. It started with a modified low-carb diet, where I simply avoided wheat/wheat baked goods, but I continued to eat spelt, rye, oats, etc. That was horrible — I did not feel better, and I had cravings like you can’t imagine. I decided (and I’m so glad I did!) that rather than just give up, I’d switch to a gluten-free diet for 2 weeks and see what happened.

    What happened felt like a miracle.

    After about 4-5 days, cravings disappeared. My mood improved. My bowel symptoms (that I’d become so used to that I forgot they weren’t “normal”) went away. My skin looked better. I slept better. It was amazing!

    After a while, my “I’m full and don’t want to eat any more” signal started working again. And I started eating less. And less. And less. (not counting calories, just wanting less.) I went from eating about twice what most people eat, to eating a more normal amount. I kept thinking I must be losing weight, and I did lose a little, but not much. It’s just that my body had healed and was actually absorbing what I ate. It may sound backwards, being glad to be eating less, but feeling satisfied on average portions feels really good.

    And here’s the bonus — recently, now that everything’s healed, I’ve been able to really cut down the calories and eat more like 1500 calories/day to lose weight (in the past, I’d lost weight on THREE THOUSAND, and felt awful!). Sure, I’m hungry sometimes, but you’re supposed to be, right?!

    I haven’t been a saint about avoiding gluten. Every few months I’ll think, “It’s not really necessary to do this,” and have pizza or something. And every time, I regret it.

    I do eat other grains in small quantities (avg. maybe 1 serving/day), and occasionally beans/legumes. I do eat cheese (avg maybe .5 servings/day) and have milk in my coffee and cream with my berries. I don’t drink soda or juice.

    So to those who asked if going all the way is necessary, my experience is that with gluten, YES. Even a little, even a couple times a month, makes me feel bad. But with the other stuff, not so much (though I may find just as great an improvement if I did eliminate beans/dairy/other grains completely).

    Eating at home and at better restaurants (who w

    Reply

  • Becky — September 20th, 2010, 11:19 am

    oops… got cut off, so I’ll finish briefly.

    Eating at home and at better restaurants isn’t hard, once you learn a new way of cooking. Eating with family and friends requires some gentle education. And eating at cheap restaurants that can’t accomodate your needs… well… I don’t really miss it.

    Cheers!

    Reply

  • Kellye Parish — September 20th, 2010, 11:22 am

    Non-vegetarian: Hey Jimmy can you come over, I need some help lifting this extremely heavy object.
    Jimmy: No, I am a vegetarian.

    ^ I’m a vegetarian weightlifter, but thanks to the anonymous whoever that wrote this, everybody loves an inaccurate stereotype. *eyeroll*

    “3-Most of the kick-back to these concepts seem to come from the vegetarian camp. I’d recommend reading “The Vegetarian Myth” for some perspective on issues like sustainability:”

    This counterargument does nothing for vegetarians like me who went vegetarian based on animal rights and/or welfare, rather than environmentalist issues (which are important as well). Regardless of how well-raised you may think your animal protein is (which is questionable, given the labelling practices in the United States) at the end of the day slaughter is slaughter, and nothing deserves to die in horrific suffering for somebody’s culinary pleasure, just like nothing deserves to be skinned alive just so some anorexic fashionista can wear its skin when they have a perfectly-working one of their own.

    Isn’t it obvious already, not from loads of skewed scientific study but from sheer weight loss results of thousands of people, that the healthiest diet is one comprised primarily of fruits, vegetables, and legumes/nuts? Just like our foraging non-carnivorous primate ancestors *really* ate?

    The formula is the same that it’s always been: Avoid processed foods and drugs; eat your fruits and veggies (many which are natural antioxidants/anti-carcinogenic); get off your *** for half an hour several times a week, and you’ll probably feel better overall. In my opinion Westerners are *seriously* overcomplicating this issue, which is why we have the highest incidence of leisure-related diseases in the world.

    Sure, there are people out there with celiac disease who should avoid grain, but to call it a “poison” to most people comes off as paranoid.

    The reason cavemen could eat that much meat and get away with it is because they had to chase it for a week first, then stab it to death with a sharpened stick while it tried to stomp the life out of them. When people start tackling their steak dinners this way, I’ll check the results then.

    Reply

  • Morgan — September 20th, 2010, 11:24 am

    Interesting read. This might explain what I believed to be an allergy to diary and maybe wheat/pasta. I was negative for both on allergy tests but never believe doctors 100% anyways.. or these diet articles ;-) . I just know what is good for me. Wheat/pasta makes me feel nausea “sometimes” and dairy pretty much always has the gas affect :-D I still indulge on cheese, chocolate and occasionally bread. These foods might not be good for the body but they are good for the soul. :-D I’ll take my chances… the only thing certain in life is death. Eat what you really love and avoid food that isn’t worth it.

    Reply

  • Fred — September 20th, 2010, 11:32 am

    The Paleo enthusiasts constantly site all these cross cultural studies. Please, guys, don’t use these. It’s almost impossible to generalize from these. Prospective Epidemiology is the way to go.

    Japanese smoke more than Americans, they also die less of lung cancer. That doesn’t mean smoking doesn’t cause lung cancer.

    On the Inuit:
    “Excluding infant mortality, [only] about 25% of their population lived past 60. Based on these data, the approximate life expectancy (excluding infant mortality) of this Inuit population was 43.5 years.”
    http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2008/07/mortality-and-lifespan-of-inuit.html

    To keep a population going doesn’t require resistance to cancer and heart disease, which kill people in their 60s and beyond, but to things like, say, freezing to death in the Arctic, being mauled by polar bears, or catching the flu with no medical care, that kill you during the short lives of hunter-gatherer societies.

    All that said, I completely agree with the paleo folk’s conclusions about grain. Grain be avoided (not gluten in particular), especially on a calorie-restriction diet — just not worth the calories.

    The long-term effects of diet on us, who can expect to live for 80 years, can not be deduced from Paleolithic peoples. Proper Epidemiology. Do it.

    Reply

  • Derek — September 20th, 2010, 12:00 pm

    A very informative post. It’s given me a lot to think about in my diet, since I’m usually heavy on the grains.

    Reply

  • Leonard Irwin — September 20th, 2010, 12:01 pm

    Tim
    Great post. It came at a good time. My girlfriend and I are working on cutting out things that will cause us to loose weight. The idea of not taking in cereal for two weeks and lose 10 pounds works for me personally and as a heading. Here family history has problems with gluten. We are looking at cooking without anything gluten in it and seeing what happens.

    Robb
    Thanks for breaking down this difficult subject. I have been looking for information that will give me food for thought (pardon the pun)

    Looking at what I eat and being open to any way that can lose weight and give back good healthy benefits is worth a read. Thanks again both of you

    Reply

  • Abbey — September 20th, 2010, 12:20 pm

    *slaps forehead* Not sure what I CAN eat anymore! But I love a challenge, so I’ll try this. I’ve been on a gluten-free bent lately but haven’t fully embraced it, though I will now given the nature of the beast. All or nothing, eh? Ok.

    For reference purposes, is there a list somewhere of what exactly is strictly verboten? For instance, lentils are ok if soaked in baking soda but not from a can…?

    Thank god I live in SF. It’s an easy place to experiment with food. Just please don’t tell me I have to give up Philz coffee.

    Reply

  • Dan — September 20th, 2010, 12:28 pm

    I, too, would be very interested to hear about the fate of peanuts on this diet, since I love peanut butter!

    Reply

  • Reijo Laatikainen — September 20th, 2010, 12:44 pm

    There are studies ongoing and testing clinical effect of Paleo diet. Hopefully they’ll deliver and give sound clinical evidence to support the diet in the long term. Then we dietitians could recommend Paleo open-heartedly. Personally, I’m a bit concerned about the recent data showing that increased protein intake is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, especially with congruent restriction on carbs. Without going into details, other issues lurk around corner as well.

    Neglected but quite important benefit of Paleo diet: it’s one of the best solutions to restrict salt intake effectively. High intake of salt is a vast problem. Thanks, for interesting post!

    Reply

  • Leigh Peele — September 20th, 2010, 12:45 pm

    With respect to you Tim, I think you need to find a different source of scientific method than Robb Woff. My points are to him, being you are outsourcing your information. When someone doesn’t understand simple pathology and proclaims alarmist views for profit, it isn’t only lacking of critical assessment, it it immoral.

    Already Robb is committing the 4 common sins of fad diet and alarmist behavoir. I think you will find in a few years you will look back on this fad you are propagating and face palm.

    #1 – Rare people have a disease, so we all must have it.
    #2 – Having to work hard means something must be wrong.
    #3 – If we don’t know enough about it, it must be bad.
    #4 – Cherry picking data leads to lots of groovy and scary articles.

    If you really look at the breakdown of these particular amino acids in our digestive system you will find that the majority of people have no problem – at all – digesting these substances. Since there are too many areas to attack here, I will stick to the raid on gluten.

    You Can Catch A Genetic Disease?

    The ability to not properly digest gluten (actually it’s a protein called gliadin) is due to a lack of genetic based enzyme activity. The average person has the ability and the enzymes to break down this activity. Research shows this particular enzyme set does not show to decrease or slow with age.

    The disease – if you have it – can progress with age.

    With age comes the debilitation of your digestive system if suffering from this problem. This is something that has to take place for years. Think of it much like smoking. The first few years you smoke everyday, it doesn’t affect you much. 10 years later, you could have anything from asthma to cancer. A non-functioning enzyme system in your digestion will do that very thing. It will slowly work away at the fibers of your digestions and poor absorptions will take place. You get sick based on a “fed” malnutrition. It is even more rare that holes are formed and leaking takes place in the blood stream. If this happens , you get very, very ill. It isn’t “oh, I am bloated today or feel I have some joint pain.” It does not produce a rapid histamine-type reaction. Meaning, you don’t eat gluten and then feel sick. It doesn’t work that way. That is an allergy based reaction – two separate things.

    It could take over a year to feel the effects from restoring your gut health based on gluten removal. It is not instant gratification. If you have an instant response you could be dealing with a wheat allergy or merely just overeating for your caloric needs. Eating an excess of daily calories leads to the following

    -Headaches
    -inflammation
    -Joint Pain
    -Dry Mouth
    -Increase in Thirst/Urination

    So on, and so forth.

    Since it is hard to overeat veggies and meat, the Paleo type solutions seems to make sense on paper and in application, but they fail in pathology and could led to more problems than they claim to solve.

    Lastly, because a small genetic based population has a disease, does not mean you have it. Are you afraid of catching autism? What about down-syndrome? You can’t “catch” celiac disease. It can progress if it already is prone in your body though and it can progress with not taking care of yourself.

    Just as we are finding out now, in the 80s/90s alarmist were wrong about animal fat. You will see the same research, time and again being brought forwards about grains.

    Reply

  • Sergiy Grynko — September 20th, 2010, 1:05 pm

    It just occurred to me that the Paleo and Raw Food movements are two sides of the same coin, which just happen to hate each other.

    Both claim to reflect the way we evolved to eat, both promise broad cure-alls, and neither lacks for heartwarming stories of miraculous recovery. But, at the end of the day, it’s really hard to tell how much of the benefit simply comes from cutting out junk food and specific allergens.

    Reply

  • Jared — September 20th, 2010, 1:08 pm

    The idea that meat and animal products are bad for you is only the wishful thinking of Vegans.

    There has never been a successful group of Vegan humans throughout history. It is basically a very untested dietary experiment that I will have no part. Especially given so many anecdotes of people’s health being destroyed by going vegan:

    http://letthemeatmeat.com/tagged/Ex-Vegan_Interviews

    Reply

  • David Hennessey — September 20th, 2010, 1:18 pm

    Hi Tim and Robb,
    Indeed this posting created a Fire Storm of response.

    We don’t always notice how often we are eating gluten laden wheat. You may have cereal for breakfast (wheat), a sandwich for lunch (wheat again) and pasta for dinner (wheat AGAIN!) and then gluten is hidden in many other foods as part of wheat fillers.

    ORGANIC: As a closing point: purity of our food in terms of how it is grown and prepared I believe is extremely important. My family and I have eaten organic food for over ten years to support the planet and get purer food. Even when we were on social assistance (welfare) we ate organic which prompted me to help other people learn how to buy organic food inexpensively. If you don’t mind me mentioning people can learn how to buy organics inexpensively by visiting my site.
    Best of health to all,
    David

    Reply

  • Abdu — September 20th, 2010, 1:20 pm

    I don’t believe in eliminating pastas and grains. Eating in moderation (small quantities and less often) is the way I go. Otherwise you’ll be bored with the few options left. Pork and ham which you have in your diets are unhealthier than pastas and grains.

    Reply

  • Vit — September 20th, 2010, 1:22 pm

    Is it true, that creatine speeds up metabolism at rest state and you lose your weight faster?

    Reply

  • Michael F — September 20th, 2010, 1:22 pm

    Just a quick note. I have been doing mostly Paleo 80/20 for about 6 months now. I dropped 10 lbs in the first week and 20 overall. I think cutting the sugar, salt and grains made the biggest impact. From my overall understanding, I don’t look at this as a low carb diet. We get plenty of carbs from fruits and vegetables. Now when I eat a large carb meal – Red Robin burger w steak fries (YUMMY!) – I crash HARD!

    I have turned three people including my father onto this lifestyle and EVERYONE has lost weight and everyone has improved energy. I don’t consider this a fad, I consider this a choice. To each his own and good luck everyone!!!

    Reply

  • Lisa Waddell — September 20th, 2010, 1:32 pm

    Robb,
    Thank you for sharing your passion in genuinely wanting folks to be healthy. The education gained through your knowledge is invaluable. You give so much and expect little.
    Lisa

    Reply

  • Chris Odell — September 20th, 2010, 1:34 pm

    I just can’t buy this article. There are too many good sources that would argue against it. Dr Weil for one here..

    http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA36527/eat-like-a-caveman-paleolithic-diet.html

    I think his anti-inflamatory diet would be safer and tastier. Clearly we eat too many carbs, especially the over processed kind. But total elimination seems far too extreme to me and I think it would actually cause other health issues down the road.

    I also get very tired of the anti-gluten crowd attempting to label all grains as evil and spreading fear which is sure to upset our stomachs if we think about it when we eat carbs. Not cool.

    Reply

  • Vishal — September 20th, 2010, 1:38 pm

    Hi Tim,

    Do all the Paleo diets have meat / non-veg in them ? Can Robb or you please suggest an all veg diet? I would definitely like to try this as I am currently 220 lbs and want to go down to 180 lbs (height 5′ 11″ age 27).

    Reply

  • Rusty Moore — September 20th, 2010, 1:46 pm

    Tim,

    I have slowly been lowering the amount of wheat I consume and I do feel better. I have made several gluten-free substitutions and most of the stuff tastes just as good as wheat filled food, once you get used to it.

    I still drink beer which contains gluten, but lowering the amount of gluten filled foods has definitely made me feel better.

    Good Stuff,

    -Rusty

    Reply

  • Nick — September 20th, 2010, 1:49 pm

    Hey Tim and Robb,
    I respect your advice and will experiment with your suggestion.

    However I can’t help but think of my years in Japan, where as you’ll know Tim people eat enormous amounts of rice, even for breakfast, and and aren’t exactly ripped but are generally thin and healthy. Given how bad rice is according to this post, are there any reasons for this that can satisfy my last doubts?
    Thanks,
    Nick

    Reply

  • Luke — September 20th, 2010, 1:52 pm

    I have struggled with environmental allergies since my teenage years. I speculate that my most severe allergies (cats & certain tree pollens) are do to my heavy exposure during my childhood and then complete absence for a few years.

    I can see how this diet might have similar results. Removing these “toxins” from the body completely for a long period would likely increase the negative reaction if you ever do eat them again. Basically, I dont want to make my life miserable if I ever decide to have a bowl of pasta or a beer again.

    Any thoughts on this Tim or Robb?

    Reply

  • AA — September 20th, 2010, 2:04 pm

    Very good article

    Reply

  • Alma — September 20th, 2010, 2:07 pm

    The Japanese diet is one of the healthiest on earth. I know this through living there for a year. Never felt better in my life. And I was the thinnest I’ve ever been, without dieting on purpose.
    The Japanese also have one of the Longest Lifespans in the world, with much lower rates of heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer than in the US.
    Another thing you notice in Japan is how much younger everyone looks comparing to their age group in western countries.
    Contrary to a popular belief – Rice is not the main food in Japan. The Traditional Japanese meal is based on fish, which is consumed at every meal (yes, breakfast too).
    Beef and chicken are served in very small portions.
    Dairy and bread ARE NOT part of the Traditional Japanese Diet!! They hardly eat any white flour. Japanese noodles are made from buckwheat flour.
    And of course Soy beans are eaten in many forms – tofu, Miso soup, Tempeh and Natto . Soy products are a great source of protein.
    One very interesting fact is that the Japanese don’t like sugary desserts.
    The Japanese desserts have a very subtle sweet taste, which comes from sweet bean paste, mashed sweet potatoes and chestnuts. These may sound a bit dull, but they actually taste great and are not just empty calories.
    Many westerners (me included) lose a lot of weight living in Japan, making no effort at all.
    Anyone else had this experience?

    Reply

    • Jarrett — October 22nd, 2010, 3:27 am

      I’ve lived in Japan for four years and I’d like to disagree with a couple things you wrote. Rice is a HUGE part of their calorie intake here in Japan. That goes for everyone from elementary kids all the way to retired folk (from what I’ve seen, and I’ve been here four years). Also, while their lifespans are among the longest and the world and the rates of some forms of cancer are low here, stomach cancer is actually quite high in comparison with other countries.

      On the other hand, the small portions, as you mentioned, are a big part of their success in longevitiy in my opinion. I don’t remember the exact wording but there is a proverb that goes something like “eat till your 80% full and you’ll live a long life”, and a lot of people follow that. They also eat a wide variety of things at every meal which covers a lot of bases nutritionally.

      Sadly consumption of Western food is on the rise, leading to chubbier children. However, many of my foreign and Japanese male friends alike have rejoiced at the increase in bust and posterior size in the ladies. Always a silver lining, as they say.

      Reply

  • Andrew Whaley — September 20th, 2010, 2:11 pm

    I just read Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Lab Tests Are Normal by Datis Kharrazian, DHSc, DC, MS and he says the exact same thing as Robb. So, I dropped gluten and most alcohol, dairy, and coffee as well for a week or so and dropped 10 pounds, my joint paints is 85% down, and even though I am in a seriously precarious financial position at the moment, the depression/anxiety I’ve dealt with for years is very minor. The “Leaky Gut Syndrome” is just plain established fact. Gluten looks exactly like thyroid, so our auto-immune system overreacts and attacks both. I challenge all you grain defenders to try his challenge. Drop for 30 and let him buy your blood tests. Be ready to publicly blog a “Robb Was Right, I Was Wrong” when it happens.

    Also, regarding the finding of cereal grains that are 110,000 years old. Great, so, compared to our 3.5 million years of thriving without year-round carbs, and mostly on fat & meat, a few isolated peoples figured out barley. That means if our whole history was a day, we’ve been eating grains for about 45 minutes instead of 4 minutes. Still, not enough time to evolve to thrive on it. And…let’s not forget all the modern studies of hunter gatherers. For goodness sakes, read Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. Even Weill admits it has changed the game.

    So, let’s say I grant the earlier date on grains, that means that 3,390,000 years we did just fine without them. And, in many places we did just fine with only fat & meat for a good part of the year, every year. Logic would dictate that a meat-centric diet without grains works for man or we simply would not be here, but we are year, therefore- QED

    Tim, You may be able to get away with the cheat, but Dr. K claims it’s worse than Robb says and that one instance of gluten intake can cause a reaction lasting up to 6 months in people with a leaky gut. http://thyroidbook.com/

    Andrew

    Reply

  • Andrew K — September 20th, 2010, 2:37 pm

    Alma:

    While I find your post interesting, I don’t agree with the part on soy.

    Soy contains isoflavones, plant hormones that have been shown to have an estrogenic effect on the body (it mimics the actions of estrogen, which reduces test levels and inhibit muscular hypertrophy. (Nutrient Timing, 128)

    While my drinking water already contains estrogen (from birth control pills), I’d like to refrain from getting extra amounts if possible.

    This is a fairly short post about the affects soy poses on us..
    http://www.chaosandpain.com/content/soy-devil-and-not-fun-way

    Reply

  • Michelle — September 20th, 2010, 2:41 pm

    An amazing article and certainly “food for thought”….. but it seems like such a big step. I am amazed at what we do to ourselves…

    Thanks for all of the comments too; very informative.

    Reply

  • Johnny — September 20th, 2010, 2:42 pm

    What? I’m not going to give up my weekly portion of quinoa!

    It ain’t gonna walk like a duck if you cut it’s feet off. Most quinoa sold commercially in North America has been processed to remove the saponin coating. Given that quinoa is such a potent source of gluten-free protein and nutrients I think that it’s reproofing should be reconsidered. Especially for paleo-vegetarians.

    Reply

    • ESLN — March 21st, 2011, 4:43 pm

      Even if it’s not pre-treated, the saponins on quinoa are essentially harmless to the GI tract. Studies show that these saponins are only really irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract, so unless you plan on snorting lines of quinoa, you should be fine.

      Cold-blooded organisms, insects, and ruminants have a more difficult time digesting quinoa saponins, which would support the “One for me, one for you” argument.

      Interestingly, quinoa saponins are going to be used as a safe alternative to traditional pesticides: http://www.epa.gov/oppbppd1/biopesticides/ingredients/tech_docs/brad_097094.pdf

      The only real concern with quinoa is the high starch content.

      Reply

  • John Fawkes — September 20th, 2010, 2:44 pm

    Is that drawing of a grain supposed to look like a face?

    Reply

  • Nick — September 20th, 2010, 2:55 pm

    Note to Jimmy (above)…

    Ever heard of organic chicken, or free range with no anti-biotics or hormones?

    Acidity is one thing often overlooked and eating lots of meat can make your pH levels plummet. However, like anything it is all about moderation. Eating red meat or chicken 3 times a week is plenty if you are getting a good dose of marine life.

    On that note, sure salmon and tuna can contain mercury. Solution? Eat them up to 3 times per week and substitute the remaining days with small fish like sardines.

    Problem solved.

    The Paleo diet makes PERFECT sense. With a son that has grown up on an Italian diet and shows all the symptoms of the first case study, Alex, I know what I will be doing today!

    Goodbye pasta!

    Reply

  • Dennis — September 20th, 2010, 3:07 pm

    Here’s an interesting article about someone studying the paleolithic diet:

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11075437

    Reply

  • Aitor — September 20th, 2010, 3:12 pm

    Great article (awesome title a SEO lesson in itself) and even better discussion. Some links to fuel up it (formatted to avoid WP spam blocking)

    Regarding veganism/vegetaranism and enviromental issues:

    www[dot]guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/sep/06/meat-production-veganism-deforestation

    hunter-gatherer[dot]com/blog/prominent-vegan-advocate-i-was-wrong-about-veganism

    It’s very common to hear that eating meat destroys the enviroment. Although industrialized meat production has a tremendous impact, traditional farming is quite the contrary. In Spain the Dehesas, and Cañadas both used for livestock are the most valuable enviromental areas, with a higher ecological value than any other farm field. The question would be, can we feed human population just only with this type of food? Maybe we are too many inhabitants, but that is another issue.

    Regarding meat consumption. Why eating meat made us human or the Kleibers Law:

    www[dot]proteinpower.com/drmike/low-carb-library/are-we-meat-eaters-or-vegetarians-part-ii/

    Regarding dairy. What are the real arguments agains fermented grass-feed dairy products? No clues whatsoever in the article. What do you think about butter (see link below)?

    www[dot]paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2010/3/28/the-only-reasonable-paleo-principle.html

    Finally, I find quite interesting the point mady by Sylwester regarding different genotypes/phenotypes among human populations. Not every populations would have the same tolerance to food (eg. lactose intolerance higher in some regions).

    Regarding evolution, are we sure that the evolution in our specie is stopped? Not so sure about that: ‘The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated H…’ by Gregory Cochran, Henry Harp… http://amzn.to/cSKaIR. Quoting from one review:

    “They initially retreat, however, to Gould’s 40,000-year benchmark to consider how H. sapiens replaced H. neanderthalensis and to argue for genetic mixing such that modern humans got from Neanderthals the innovative capacity for civilization. Later, agricultural life created problems necessitating adaptations, most importantly to disease and diet, that persist to this day among inheritors of the populations that made them.”

    One thing is for sure, we, our nature and our enviroment are way too complex to get just one right answer. Everybody needs to research and test what works best for himself. In my case moderate carbs, moderate grains, moderate sugar.

    Reply

  • Jeff — September 20th, 2010, 3:15 pm

    Tim,

    Thanks for the great read! I’ll have to pick this up on Amazon. I would recommend you checkout “The Paleo Diet” by Loren Cordain but I assume you’ve already read it.

    Looking forward to your new book.

    -Jeff

    Reply

  • Kerry — September 20th, 2010, 3:21 pm

    I found this an interesting read. My background is in genetics and have done nutrition research for many years. What I have found is that there are no absolutes. And like any science, it is all theories. The only way to know if something works is to test it and test it again.

    Note: genetically some people will do well on this diet for the reason mentioned. BUT, there are others who genetically are able to digest grains and others who are able to digest dairy, these has been recently discovered when doing genetic research, particularly around dairy. Also for some this will be easy to follow and incorporate into their life but not for others. My caution there is that from my experience people who stress about food and what they can and can’t eat are no better off due to the increased stress and anxiety. Stress shuts down digestion and has the potential to create inflammation which is counter-productive to the results they expect. We can not dismiss the mind-body connection here.

    The effect of grains in the body last for about 7 days from ingestion and for dairy it is about 14 days. And with these foods a little is still some. For example you can’t have the light a little bit on, it’s either on or it’s off. So too with eating these foods you either do or you don’t. I found the inclusion of meat interesting because in the process of digesting meat, it creates lots of waste products which can have it’s own issues.

    The quality of the food we eat is important too, fresh as we can get and the least processed is the preferred option. For each person, recognise your means and work within those, see nutrition as a journey for you to discover what works for you. All these books are guides and ideas for you to test and try.

    Reply

  • Robb Wolf — September 20th, 2010, 3:34 pm

    Leigh-
    Great to see you! A few questions for you:
    -Is porphyria cutanea tarda a GENETIC disease or an autoimmune disease?
    -Is Huntington’s a genetic disease or autoimmune?
    -Is Multiple Sclerosis a genetic disease or autoimmune?
    -is Celiac a genetic disease or autoimmune?
    -Same for vitiligo, type 1 diabetes, and essentially every autoimmune condition known.

    So Leigh, are these diseases genetic? As you jested above should people be “afraid of catching them?” Would you like to meet the family of the two women we have worked with who have reversed early onset Huntington’s, an otherwise fatal neurological disease? These women are now being followed by UCLA and UCSD. Would you like to explain to them how silly and quaint all this is? How about the folks who have reversed Porphria?

    Leigh, this is a story of epigenetics plain and simple. Gene/environment interaction and in this case all of these diseases share antigens to the transglutaminase enzyme. Does it affect every person the same way? Absolutely not. Neither does getting a sunburn. Leigh…you are so off the track on this it’s like I need to re-teach you pathology to even begin to have a conversation. Alarmist? “Try it, see what happens.”

    Leigh, occasionally, you almost do good work.

    Reply

    • Brian C — July 24th, 2012, 11:37 am

      @Robb: Huntington disease is genetic. There’s no”predisposition. If you have the repeat expansion, you’re gonna get it.

      Reply

  • Brook — September 20th, 2010, 3:37 pm

    Fantastic article, horrible title!

    Reply

  • Rational — September 20th, 2010, 3:43 pm

    Things to consider:

    1. The “average” age of people in centuries past is often based on the total estimated birth rate. A generally high infant/child mortality rate skews the results. If you take into account the life span of those people who survive to reproductive age, the numbers get better. Investigate on your own the research done on the life spans and mortality rates of nomadic peoples and peoples who live on subsistence farming without access to modern medicine.

    2. While eating unprocessed dairy products might be more natural and contain more beneficial enzymes and nutrients, they can also be rife with disease. Things like bovine tuberculosis and other pathogens can be found in raw milk and raw milk products. Many people have little to no idea of the number pathogens that are transmissible to humans from animals and are unaware of the diseases that people have had to deal with until very recently in human history. This hold true even for animals raised in pristine, natural conditions.

    3. The assumption that the digestive system of all humans are the same and are affected the same is debatable. Take the recent study on how Japanese people have bacteria that aids them in the digestion of seaweed. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/04/07/gut-bacteria-in-japanese-people-borrowed-sushi-digesting-genes-from-ocean-bacteria/

    It may be that people with gluten sensitivity lack the correct bacteria to successfully process it, though this is pure speculation on my part.

    If after reading this blog post people come away thinking “I need to eliminate all gluten from my life”, then I would say you missed a lot of information and I suggest reading Michal Pollan’s take on “nutritionism”. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html

    Reply

  • Nick McIntosh — September 20th, 2010, 3:44 pm

    I am so utterly utterly confused.

    There is so much conflicting information on diet and health and what you can / can’t eat and at what time of day that I simply switch off and decide that it’s all to hard.

    As far as I know I’m healthy and feel ‘good’ although how ‘good’ my good is compared with Robb’s I have no idea.

    This post is a massive amount of content and I tried my best to understand it but by the 800~ word mark I gave up.

    @ Tim & Robb: For this to have impact what’s the next action that doesn’t mean throwing out my entire pantry?

    Reply

  • Chris — September 20th, 2010, 4:00 pm

    Tim/Robb

    Great article! I’m definitely going to try this out, but I have one question around tracking progress. When you say get your blood checked, what actual tests are you referring to? Are these the types of tests you must go to a doctor for or can you do them through someone like LabCorp?

    Thanks in advance

    Chris

    Reply

  • Mat — September 20th, 2010, 4:01 pm

    Hey Robb and Tim,

    Great stuff. I love the fact that despite the natural tendency to lean 100% Vegan or Vegetarian when first starting down a natural health path that there are other options as described here. Personally I went from a member of the SAD diet myself to 100% vegan to raw and now end up somewhere in the middle fluctuating as my body tells me what its looking for and i thought that was one of the best comments in the thread was instead of judging, try it for yourself and listen to your body. Of course this wont work 100% if your still sucking down 4 Pepsi’s and a box of ho-ho’s everyday, but you will definitely feel the difference.

    Interested to your thought on if there is a French Paradox at all when it comes to grains(i.e.- breads) as well, in addition to wine.

    Keep up the good work.

    Mat

    P.S.- on a side note Tim, the 4hww inspired me to start my gig a few years back and has been the best decision I ever made, so thanks for the push.

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 20th, 2010, 10:47 pm

      Thanks for the kind words, Mat! I’ll have some thoughts on the French Paradox soon. The short answer is different genetics. I don’t think it’s a paradox so much as genetic variance. More soon…

      Tim

      Reply

      • Amit — February 4th, 2011, 3:37 am

        I do well on spelt and don’t do well on wheat. Is this anything to do with French use some kind of older grains that are not genetically modified?

        Reply

  • Hershl — September 20th, 2010, 4:12 pm

    Sounds great.

    But, it doesn’t apply to most people.

    The reality is that each of our metabolism is unique.

    I have been investigating eating and health for many years and have yet to find a one-size-fits-all regimen.

    Find what works for you and stick to it as best you can.

    Don’t forget drinking water, exercise and accepting your body as a body and not you.

    Reply

  • creed — September 20th, 2010, 4:14 pm

    is flax seed allowed in the paleo diet?

    Reply

  • Leigh Peele — September 20th, 2010, 4:19 pm

    If you could revisit the comment Robb you would note I was speaking of only Celiac and your attack to gluten (though we could discuss the pathology of some of the other things you are discussing here).

    I will quote myself – “Since there are too many areas to attack here, I will stick to the raid on gluten.” The following comments were made about that of Celiac Disease.

    Celiac disease is an inherited disease. Linked to genetically transmitted histocompatibility cell antigens (HLA DR3-DQ2, DR5/7 DQ2, and DR4-DQ8) – others are still being discovered.

    Look into some of these studies which touch on the issue of genetics, progression, and curative measures.

    Immunogenetics. 2010 Jul 27. [Epub ahead of print]
    Celiac disease: how complicated can it get?

    Tjon JM, van Bergen J, Koning F.

    Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, E3-Q, PO Box 9600, 2300, RC Leiden, The Netherlands, j.m.l.tjon@lumc.nl.

    Or

    Gastroenterology. 2009 Dec;137(6):1912-33. Epub 2009 Sep 18.
    Celiac disease: from pathogenesis to novel therapies.

    Schuppan D, Junker Y, Barisani D.

    Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. dschuppa@bidmc.harvard.edu

    Notice this in the study

    Celiac disease has become one of the best-understood HLA-linked disorders. Although it shares many immunologic features with inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease is uniquely characterized by (1) a defined trigger (gluten proteins from wheat and related cereals), (2) the necessary presence of HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8, and (3) the generation of circulating autoantibodies to the enzyme tissue transglutaminase (TG2).

    Pay special attention to line #2.

    This is just the tip to the iceberg that makes it very clear cut that HEALTHY and NORMAL digestive systems should/will have no problem with grain digestion. However, damaged systems are a different story, but again that is taking the problems of a small population and placing it on the world.

    Now, can there be things that damage digestive systems other than having celiac disease? Yes, but the kicker is gluten is going to have little to nothing to do with it if you can breakdown the protein (which again most people can). General abuse to your digestive systems can cause all types of problems, but excess/quantity is going to be the bigger culprit versus grains.

    And technically Robb, for conversation, celiac is generally classified as a genetic autoimmune disease. As to a few women being followed that land outside the norm, I think that proves one of my points right there. Also, they weren’t the point of my original comments anyway, nor was multiple sclerosis or anything else you want to claim be be cured by the removal of bread.

    Rare doesn’t equal all. Correlation doesn’t equal causation either, for that matter.

    Your diet helps people lose weight and is a good adherence diet, there is no doubt about that. You can make your attacks at my work, I certainly earned it with a bit of snarky behavoir in my comments. However, you will find that my position is one of moderate and not being guided by fear but instead critical thinking. The research you use to push your diet is where I have a problem. To me it is flawed and filled with alarmist behavior and propaganda that is backed by cherry picking research at best and anecdotal rantings at worst. While I believe your intent and success are good, I think it will contribute to the problem of people not getting the help they really need.

    When you fill your tribe with nothing but flawed science, it will eventually be debunked by someone who has a higher following than me, and more and more frequently. In the end, it will become a punchline along with “eggs will kill you.” I think the Paleo Diet is but one option of many diets choices for lifestyle adherence. I don’t think it should keep making claims of curing genetic disorders. It’s hard to overeat meat and veggies, and allows for a lot of nutrients. Leave it at that in my book. The rest, becomes scare tactics and shock nutrition – things I am heavily against.

    You are using stories about people with obvious allergies and dealing with extreme health conditions. Stories that scare the shit out of “molly-sue-jane” that just need to realize that those M&M’s she keeps scrapping from the bowl in her office do in fact have calories. That the fact she sits 10 hours of the day might just mean she can’t eat that much.

    Lastly, where does it stop Robb? Did you know that celery is actually problematic for a high amount of people with grass allergies? Here are some more tolerance and ratings –
    Chicken Allergy – 0.6% to 5% US
    Beef Allergy – 3% and 6.5% US
    Codfish – .5 to 1% US

    There is no doubt that is dealing with an autoimmune disease like RA or MS that removing excess consumption helps first, increase of fats next, and removal of grains can be a help. But what about everyone else?

    That is my question or perhaps you can clarify. If I am wrong and you are saying that everyone should not eat grains or that everyone will not be hurt by them then I offer up my sincerest remarks about that assumption. Otherwise, my case stands.

    Reply

  • Charles Polanski — September 20th, 2010, 4:22 pm

    Rational: In response to your raw dairy “can also be rife with disease”, yes that was true for the urban dairies of the industrial revolution that had very poor sanitation and in many cases had sewage in and around the cattle that were being milked. But today’s organic, pastoral dairy farms that practice safe milking don’t have those issues. They stringently screen for pathogenic bacteria in their milk and have a much better safety record than the corporate, grain (and whatever else) fed, stuck in a small concrete floor stall cow dairies who’ve had their milk heated over 400 degrees and then homogenized. The good bacteria present in healthy cattle actually live and regulate the milk on their own and kill off the bad bacteria and keep them at bay. I highly recommend reading the book I mentioned in my first comment. Nomadic dairy dependent people who milk their healthy grass fed animals don’t have any problems with “pathogenic bacteria” either for the reasons cited above and are some of the healthiest people on earth (as seen in the book).

    Reply

  • Strazz — September 20th, 2010, 4:25 pm

    Great post Robb! Loving the book! Thank you Tim for featuring Robb’s important message.

    Reply

  • CRD — September 20th, 2010, 4:26 pm

    Tim or Robb, I’m curious, do you know of any studies that speak to what would happen if a very large percentage of the world’s population were to switch over to non grain based diets such as the one advocated in this article? Including grass fed animals. Would there be enough food to adequately feed the earth’s population or is the planet beyond the carrying capacity for change at this point?

    If this is the case then the grains based U.S. food pyramid would make more sense. The damage grains cause to the individual are a necessary evil, in order to adequately supply enough calories and nutrition to the population in general. I’m not implying we are being deliberately misled, but trying to look at things from a broader nutritional point of view.

    Most people I talk to are shocked when I try to tell them grain based diets are bad. They are really caught up on the “whole grains” mentality. Thanks for shedding more light on the subject.

    Reply

  • Gerard — September 20th, 2010, 4:29 pm

    Sounds like a lot of hogwash to me. Or BS, however you want to put it. All of a sudden gluten are the root of all evil. That’s not true.
    Gluten allergies can be tested for. They even have a name for the disease, celiak disease. And yes, it does hurt and bother some people.
    But making gluten the root of all evil?

    Reply

  • Russ — September 20th, 2010, 4:46 pm

    My wife and I have been following a mostly grain/corn free approach for almost 3 months now. We are both avid CrossFitters (5x per week). Both of us are down about 20 lbs from when we started.

    My upset stomach, which I always attributed to “greasy” foods actually seems to be due to the sugars and carbs I was eating a lot of before. I eat bacon and eggs every morning, bunless burgers, lots of coconut oil fried foods, etc (read: “greasy”) and I haven’t had an upset stomach in months.

    Now, whenever I have a soda or even fries my stomach will rebel…Thing is I don’t WANT them anymore. We went through several days of beating back the sugar withdrawals. My wife’s were more severe. But once we made it over the hump, we adjusted well.

    Both of us have energy to spare.

    In 6 weeks: My 5k time improved by almost 10 minutes, my dead lift improved by 50 lbs, and all my other OLifts improved as well.

    I’m not where I’d like to be strength or “appearance” wise, but we decided to focus more on eating REAL FOODS, not food products and that basically cut out just about any and everything in a box, jar, or bottle.

    We shop the perimeter of the store. And for those folks who think a carb restrictive diet is boring, we eat VERY good, and spend Sunday afternoons planning our weekly menu together. Lots of variety to be had.

    We try as much as possible to buy local grass-fed, free-range meat. And organic veggies and fruits. The money we save by not buying all the boxed garbage we’re actually able to move over to the meats and produce category. Overall, we’re spending less than we used to spend on the “normal” western diet.

    I have to give this approach, call it Paleo, call it Primal, call it low-carb, call it No Food Products, call it whatever you want, TWO THUMBS UP.

    Reply

  • JP — September 20th, 2010, 5:01 pm

    So, why is it that the macrobiotic-eating Okinawans lived so long? Their diet was high in carbs and legumes, yet they were very healthy and often lived to 100. The new generation of Okinawans that are eating an American diet have become quite sick, so it’s not genetics at play here as much as it is the diet.

    Reply

  • CRD — September 20th, 2010, 5:03 pm

    Wow, looking at the comments, many people here are really confused.

    Here is a rough attempt at trying to clarify a few things.

    At least as I understand them. Robb or Tim please feel free to correct me.

    Paleolithic diet. Cave man diet. Non-grains based diet.

    The theory is that since the Garden of Eden, or since our monkey ancestors climbed down out of the tree’s (Your choice), our bodies, over great spans of time have adapted to eating certain types of meats, vegetables and fruits.

    With the invention of fire, humans discovered that previously inedible foods in their raw form, (grains, potatoes etc…) could be made edible through cooking, boiling etc.. (Processing).

    The trouble is… mankind has not had fire for a long enough period of time to adapt to the foods we now make edible through cooking.

    Thus these foods don’t react well with the human body and we get all of the associated health problems with grains that Robb mentioned above.
    Humans are not designed to eat grains in their raw form.

    We have found a way to cheat… by cooking or fermenting them first. We can now access the calories supplied by grains but at a cost to our health.
    Also, as Tim may have been alluding to earlier.

    Our ancestors were much shorter than people alive today. For example look at the doorways in old European castles or the sizes of suits of armor in both Europe and Japan. People in the middle ages were short of stature.
    But what most people don’t realize is that Paleolithic hunter gather groups in Europe had an average male height of close to 6’ 3” as confirmed from skeletal evidence. Taller even than today which I think is still around the 5’ 10” range.

    The advent of grain based diets about 5000 – 7000 years ago coincides with a huge spike in the loss of height, the advent of many diseases and dental problems as found in skeletal records.

    The cultivation of grains and the massive amounts of extra calories they provided helped give rise to civilization, but at a cost. We are paying that cost more than ever today. I believe the number one source of calories in the American diet is from high fructose corn syrup.

    Robb, I’ve not read your book. I’m going to go get a copy. So my apologies if you have already mentioned any of the above.

    Reply

  • Monica — September 20th, 2010, 5:06 pm

    I too would like to see some adequate research, of which there seems to be little of presented here.

    Reply

  • GT — September 20th, 2010, 5:12 pm

    @Dan:

    Jeez – if I see one more numptie claiming that human incisors are ‘proof’ we are meat-eaters, I will blow chunks (of red kidney bean chili, that I just had for a mid-morning snack).

    Dummies used to claim claim that our modest canines were the ‘proof’, until folks like me started pointing out that gorillas have canines larger than a lion, and are 100% vegan (not ‘pretend’ vegetarian – 100% VEGAN). Pandas, too – although they don’t appeal to meatheads as much as the gorilla example (and gorilla metabolism is much closer to humans than pandas’).

    There are any number of 100% vegan frugivores/herbivores that have similar dental arrangements to us; if you’re a 5-foot-six gym wannabe who thinks he has to have a steak to get 15-inch arms, then just say so – but keep the moronitude to a dull roar.

    That said, I am not vegan – I eat eggs (and not just ‘free range’ – they have to come from chickens who won’t be killed the moment their productivity falls 5% percent… hard to do, but morality requires it). Maybe 4, 5 eggs a week – tops – very fond of Tim’s black bean/spinach/eggs breakfast (in France it’s called ‘oeufs à la cocotte’). And I weaken from time to time, because I like cheese (I eat maybe 100g a week).

    I’m 45 years old, 6’2″, 225lb and have no ‘strength’ issues that are remotely meaningful – after the age of 25 I felt no requirement to bench 450… 300 for 6 is more than enough: I have been able to do that non-stop for 25 years (I’ve only been vegetarian for 3 years, but my strength has not changed). Even having become vegetarian, I have to exercise reasonably regularly to prevent myself from getting fat(ter).

    I still couldn’t run out of sight in a day, but could walk as far as I could ever conceivably need to, carrying 40lb.

    I confess a natural antipathy to anything ‘paleo’ – not everything old is good. Paleolithic life had plenty of rape, too – why not emulate that? It’s not clear to me why we would pick a caveman’s purported diet as a benchmark.

    Also, everybody is ignoring the fact that the purported paleo diet is almost certainly a romanticised (Americanised) version – humans just aren’t good enough hunters: most primitive diets in the places we did most of our evolving – e.g., African bushmen – are heavy on nuts, berries and grasses collected by the chicks while the men go off failing to kill things; a lot of animal intake in genuinely paleolithic man was the opportunistic scavenging of, e.g., marrow from discarded animal femurs. Using TOOLS.

    All that said, and ignoring the meat… less processed food is likely to be better for us; it’s certainly true that moving to wide-scale cereal agriculture did bad things for the health of Meso-Americans – but I prefer to see that as a (natural) outcome of central planning, since resources were diverted towards conquest rather than toward diversifying their food production system.

    Cheerio

    GT

    Reply

    • Susie — October 22nd, 2010, 5:29 pm

      re. your comment about bodybuilders needing steaks to get big arms… the animals with the most muscle mass…elephants, cows, horses, etc., are vegetarian. Meat eating animals in the wild…coyotes, etc., are usually kinda scrawny.

      Reply

  • Pete Freans — September 20th, 2010, 5:16 pm

    Being of Italian descent, this diet is the polar opposite of what I grew up eating both in the U.S. and in Italy. I am a proponent of the so-called Mediterranean diet which I have been comfortable with, my parents, their parents, and my ancestors before me. I think the above article makes good points, but I believe the real culprit is an over-consumption of one food, not recessarily the fact it exists at all within your diet. My food plan is consuming good fats like olive oil and Omega 3s, vegetables and fruits, limiting red meat, and eating chicken and fish more often, in my mind, is a sensible diet. Couple that with red wine in moderation, no smoking, plenty of exercise, and a healthy mental outlook. Again, good points in the article, but I think I’ll stick with what works for me.

    Reply

  • Pete Freans — September 20th, 2010, 5:22 pm

    I apologize for not adding hearty bread (not bleached white), risottos, and polenta, and pasta in moderation. I think quantity and quality is critically important as well. Thanks

    Reply

  • Jason — September 20th, 2010, 5:25 pm

    “Just eat lots of veggies and lean protein and you’ll be good to go.”

    That’s all I needed to hear, thanks for the executive summary!

    Reply

  • Chad — September 20th, 2010, 5:52 pm

    To John…thank you for asking the question most of us wanted to know. And I seriously laughed out loud at the question and Tim’s matter-of-fact answer.

    Reply

  • Guillermo — September 20th, 2010, 6:03 pm

    Hey all

    Great post, TIm.

    A question: What’s the status on whey protein supplements? Is it a big no-no?

    All the best,
    Guillermo.

    Reply

  • Kam — September 20th, 2010, 6:14 pm

    Hey Tim, Great post as usual…

    I would like to know Robb’s opinion on the number of deficiencies link to the gluten-free diet:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-free_diet#Deficiencies_linked_to_maintaining_a_gluten-free_diet

    Reply

  • Mark — September 20th, 2010, 6:15 pm

    Tim,

    Good grief, man!

    Since I’m doing the slow-carb diet (with great results), I have been eating grains after my workout. What have you replaced your post-workout pizza with? I’m glad to hear that you still take your day off. Overconsumption Day my favorite day of the week.

    I’m also eagerly awaiting your book. I wish I had thought to ask you a few questions when you were writing it–mainly “What is the 1-2-3 for a 6’4″ 190-lb male to look like Brad Pitt from ‘Fight Club’?” Is that in there? Haha.

    Thanks, Tim.

    Mark

    Reply

  • Michael — September 20th, 2010, 6:29 pm

    I know exactly how this feels. I did it to lose weight. I cut all bread and grain products and I cut all drinks that had sugar, including milk, from my diet. I started eating more colorful fruits and veggies as well as some lean meats. I lost 60lbs and felt great. I decided to enjoy pizza with some friends, since I had not had piece for awhile, and man I felt sick from it. I can’t say that it is better to have loved a food and lost it than to never have loved it at all. I can say that I do feel better than I did and I am dropping more weight and am sure I will feel great doing so.

    Reply

  • Brandon Carter — September 20th, 2010, 6:41 pm

    Having all this said, do you still eat whatever you want one day a week Tim????

    Reply

  • Stephen Bell — September 20th, 2010, 6:44 pm

    Tim, first of all I love your book and I’ve enjoyed a great many of your articles. A lot of the science above holds true, but this diet plan is a health nightmare. Its a carb phobic plan, that like atkins will result in dire health. All these Paleo diets look to the past and make this massive assumption that in the past we ate an incredible amount of meat and there is ZERO evidence to support this. Its a literal creationist diet. Anyone who spends just a tiny amount of time looking at our evolution couldn’t possibly believe the claims surrounding these fads. This claim is based around the ‘Expensive Tissue Hypothesis’, which isn’t even a theory, its still just a hypothesis. Meat did not cause our brains to get big, even a strict reading of the ETH means you can outrule meat completely anyway. (You can read up on this in the website link). I’m not claiming we didn’t eat meat in the past, I am claiming it offers zero benefit to our well being, and it was a fallback food, it is NOT an ideal food. We do not have the physiology of an omnivore or carnivore.
    Utlimately a 100% plant based diet or a diet with a very low animal product intake has stood the test of time, and is nutritionally, environmentally, and emotionally (for the sake of your EQ) by far the most superior diet. A look at the performance of vegan athletes – especially Michael Arnstein, and all these people who are turning to this diet for peak performance. Vegan is starting to get wide recognition for a good reason.
    Yes some people fail on these diets, but if you examine their diets you’ll find a ridiculous eating plan, usually high fat, low carbs, or based around ridiculous food such as soy etc. High fruit and veg are the way to go (low fat, high carb). Protein is a non issue – all plants contain the 8 essential amino acids, and there is no medical term for protein deficiency.

    Read ‘The China Study’, and Douglas Grahams ‘The 80-10-10 Diet’. Also see the Gerson and Hoxsey therapies, and the works of Caldwell Esselstyn, John McDougall, Dean Ornish etc. If you can cure every disease known to man with plant based nutrition, how can one possibly argue that this is not the way to go?
    Also look at all the longest lived cultures and note that they only use meat as a condiment. These Paleo Diets are fad, and no athlete could perform well on them, because you simply cannot perform well on a low carb diet.

    I agree that grains are not good foods, but the physiological affects are not as bad as high meat consumption – not even close. A look at of physiology and biochemistry rules meat out completely. Many of you will disagree, but look up the health benefits of meat, and then look and see if science agree’s. You can’t just look at one side of the argument and claim superior knowledge.

    You can note the physiological effects of such diets. A high plant diet: Your sweat doesn’t smell, your feces doesn’t smell, and you go through a toilet role about once every 2 months, your farts and breath don’t smell. You have a great deal of energy because your body is getting the only fuel source is can thrive on: Carbs (I eat 4000 cals a day, currently do little cardio and 90% of my calories are carbs. I’m 5% bodyfat and I am in superb health, bar a little need cardio improvement).
    A high meat diet: your like a walking trash bag, your fatigued, you smell, and you constantly crave carbs. You cannot perform athletic activities efficiently and your body is running via ketosis – Not a good idea.

    Sorry Tim, some good advice, but a long term following of this diet plan will mess people’s health up, the effects will be the same as Atkins. High cholesterol, high fat and high protein are not your friends. If you wish, I can provide plenty of resources for a balanced perspective (everyone should read both sides).

    Reply

  • Andrew — September 20th, 2010, 6:52 pm

    Tim,

    I’m currently training to be part of the special operations community in the military. I essentially train similarly to a triathlete with longer cardiovascular needs. Additionally, strength training in both pure strength and muscular endurance are part of what I do daily. I’ve experimented with a “Paleo” type diet and essentially bonked due to lack of carbs (or so I think). What can I do about this? Are carbs okay before and after exercise? I really need that gel packet on three hour swim/run/pt sessions…

    Thanks so much for your insight
    Andrew

    Reply

  • sanjay — September 20th, 2010, 7:13 pm

    this is a brilliant post tim and rob.
    what i’d really like to know, as mentioned by another questioner is how do south asians (indians etc) resolve going on a diet that completely exlcuded their major source of noursihment?

    i live in britain and i am definitely going to try this diet out, but dont know how i could convince the parents and rest of the family to take up a rice free, chappatti free, flour free diet.

    everyone would be like, where’s the rice? lol

    i would be most appreciative if you or rob mentioned some ethnic/asians alternatives to rice, that my family would be able to latch onto

    cheers and look forward to hearing back from you!

    Reply

  • James C — September 20th, 2010, 7:20 pm

    Interesting article. About a month ago, I began to suspect something like this might be the cause of my IBS. I killed wheat products and went to fruits and vegetables, though I must admit that I have been eating some legumes and dairy. I quickly began to feel better. Well a month later I decided to introduce some breads to see how I would react. I have noticed that my stomach has been more upset and today I decided to eat my favorite dish, spaghetti. Guess what? I don’t feel good. Then I come across this article that validated my suspicions and provided some more info. Thanks for the menu plan, that will be helpful. I may not be in a position to dispute or agree with what was said in this article on a technical level, but I can definitely vouch for the results.

    Reply

  • Robb Wolf — September 20th, 2010, 7:23 pm

    Nick-
    Yea…it is a lot. this is why I do the best I can for providing both a rationale for these suggestions, then simply “how to.” Then it’s just up to folks to tinker (if they want to) and see how they look, feel, perform.

    Reply

  • ALLY — September 20th, 2010, 7:31 pm

    I AM GLAD THIS INFORMATION IS GETTING A LOT OF ATTENTION. I AM AWARE OF A YOUNG GIRL WHO HAD RA (RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS) SO BAD, SHE COULD NOT ATTEND SCHOOL AT THE AGE OF 6. AFTER SEVERAL TESTS AND DRUGS AND 2 YEARS SHE WAS FINALLY DIAGNOSED WITH CELIAC DISEASE. SHE IS NOW IN SCHOOL AND ALMOST BACK TO NORMAL. I HAVE TWIN BOYS THAT HAVE GLUTEN ISSUES. CONVINCING ALL PEOPLE IN MY CIRCLE, BE IT PROFESSIONAL OR NOT WAS QUITE A BATTLE. AWARENESS NEEDS TO BE OUT THERE. I HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE IN MY LIFE WITH THE AILMENTS LISTED, I HAVE TRIED TO CONVINCE THEM TO TRY GLUTEN FREE AND TO NO AVAIL I CANNOT SAVE THESE PEOPLE FROM THERE OWN DESTIN.
    I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THE TIME THAT YOU TOOK TO START MORE AWARENESS.

    Reply

  • trbecker — September 20th, 2010, 7:33 pm

    Hey, great article. Let’s see if I can loose my belly. Also, I laughed with the direct translation from Portuguese to English that your teacher does. It was hard to understand until I translated every word back to Portuguese without context. Heh.

    Best,
    Thiago

    Reply

  • Nali — September 20th, 2010, 7:41 pm

    I would add flax seeds and/or Psyllium to the diet, it really helps with some water soluble fiber.

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  • J — September 20th, 2010, 7:46 pm

    I eliminated gluten from my diet after realizing that most members of my family including my self have celiac like symptoms.

    I wonder if the increase in gluten and other food intolerances/ allergies may be related to GMOs.

    I wonder if heirloom grains would demonstrate similar toxicities as there GMO counterparts.

    Reply

  • Connor Hood — September 20th, 2010, 8:28 pm

    I need to gain 10 pounds in 14 days. Any clue how to do that :-D ?

    Reply

  • Lenora Helm — September 20th, 2010, 8:37 pm

    Loved this article Tim! My nutritionist gave a very similar diet as outlined above to me to follow, which solved my infertility at that time. I felt great and looked better than I had in years, too. Thanks for this reminder. Loved the lively discourse.

    Reply

  • mcalevy — September 20th, 2010, 8:46 pm

    @CRD I agree. Since at least 90% of the human race survives on grains, then the species is pretty well screwed. Guess we can declare that the experiment labeled humanity is over. Back to the caves all you folks, and start foraging for food. The georgia guide stones are correct. the planet could not support even 500 million people on this diet. Let alone a city of even moderate size.

    Reply

  • mcalevy — September 20th, 2010, 9:08 pm

    Something else also occurred to me. I’ll bet you have never seen a person with these gut problems who was not immunized as a child. I suspect that auto-immune diseases are triggered by immunizations. I seriously doubt if there is a case of AIDS anywhere in the world in a human that was not immunized as a child. You can bet your life that main stream medicine will never research this. There has to be horrendous consequences for injecting foreign proteins and monkey viruses into the bodies of infants, especially if they are not breast fed. Neither of my children were immunized before they were 18 years old. We’ll see how that goes. Bill Gates, in a TED talk, said that immunizations were an important part of population control. You can find the excerpt on youtube. His foundation has donated hundreds of millions for immunizations worldwide.

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  • Marco a — September 20th, 2010, 9:35 pm

    Hhhmmmmm…this vanilla haagendaz I’m eating is SOOO GOOOOOOOOOD!!! yummmmMmmMmmmmmmm…what a wonderful world… :-)

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  • Sima — September 20th, 2010, 9:41 pm

    Weird… I posted the same topic on my blog yesterday too. I didn’t know it was called Paleo diet though.

    I lost weight (it’s a great diet to do before your wedding though you may never fit into your wedding dress ever again) and my digestive system felt clean.

    When I tried to go back on it last year, I GAINED weight and broke out worse than a teenager. After reading Eat Right for Your type I lost weight by avoiding the nightshade family (peppers, tomatoes etc). Since I’m a Type A grains were recommended coupled with a vegetarian diet.

    Asians consume MASSIVE quantities of grains most of them are pretty healthy with their ageless faces (not that I’m jealous :P ) So, I don’t buy into the grains are bad ideology at all. I wonder if those people in the article were Type O.

    All illnesses are a state of mind, therefore one diet could never be the right answer for everyone. We all have different issues to face in our lives including some that involve our genetics. We’re all dying anyway, so you may as well enjoy life and if for some that means giving up grains so be it.

    S

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  • Greg Burkett — September 20th, 2010, 9:42 pm

    I don’t suppose brownies are gluten-free? :)

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  • Miki — September 20th, 2010, 10:08 pm

    Hi Robb and Tim,

    I really enjoyed reading this article. I will give is a shot, at least with the grains.

    I don’t eat a lot of legumes generally, but I do consume dairy on a daily basis (light/skim milk, cottage/yellow cheese, yoghurt) . Are there particular dairy products I should avoid or substitute? For example, should I use rice milk, instead of skim milk (or soy milk is better)?

    One other question is regarding cancer. My father-in-law was diagnosed last week with pancreatic cancer. Do you think following this diet can help him? Can you please refer me to some literature so I can provide him with?

    Much appreciated.
    Miki.

    Reply

  • Brian P — September 20th, 2010, 10:10 pm

    I’ve been Paleo for 7 months now and have never felt better, not just physically but also mentally. I feel more relaxed and better outlook on life. My stress level probably reduced to like 0-5%. If you haven’t gone off the crack (sugar and carbs), you should really try to. I got hooked after trying it for 6 weeks of logging what I eat on a support system. I’m giving back by setting up my own blog where people can log what they eat on my blog and we will help you change what you eat to become similar to what Tim posted above.

    So Tim, will you be trying CrossFit next??

    Reply

  • Joe — September 20th, 2010, 10:14 pm

    Tim:

    Check out Nora T. Gedgaudas’s book, Primal Body – Primal Mind. It is a wonderful work on paleo diet she studied for 25 years. It opened my eye and I am changing my diet eliminating grains and starchy carbohydrate and learn how to live on ketone.

    http://www.primalbody-primalmind.com/

    Reply

  • Clinton Boyda — September 20th, 2010, 10:26 pm

    Man, Tim it is great to read great research and such a diverse spectrum of topics from you!

    My wife found the book “Deceptively Delicious” which is just another great way to introduce more of the good veggies into our diet without having to look at a 4 foot pile of broccoli with disdain!

    http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/

    Thought it would make a great example of how to get in more of those fruits and vegetables into our diet.

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  • JD Moyer — September 20th, 2010, 10:35 pm

    Great post. I’ve been following the paleo diet, not that strictly, for several years, and have experienced a number of health improvements including near total cessation of asthma symptoms. I wrote about my experience in detail here…

    One tip that makes eating paleo easier — meats don’t have to be lean, especially if they are pastured/grass-fed. Omega-3 fats are good for you, and grass-fed meats are full of them. Also — the fat keeps you full. Too much protein and not enough fat can lead to digestive problems as well.

    To those of you considering giving paleo a go, you’ll probably feel the benefits within three of four days.

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  • Anon — September 20th, 2010, 10:46 pm

    Robb can you address the *overwhelming evidence* based issues in this video?
    http://tinyurl.com/drgregercomplete And if you buy his 2010 DVD (all proceeds to charity) on his website he shows how gluten is bad for bowels if celiac (http://is.gd/fkFkm), but good for gut flora (http://is.gd/fkFlz)

    While not a vegan I would like the *overwhelming evidence* as well as HCAs put to rest or at least addressed. Really — How can there be such huge a discrepancy?
    http://www.imminst.org/forum/topic/42451-why-the-huge-atkins-discrepancy/

    Reply

  • Katie — September 20th, 2010, 10:53 pm

    Hi,
    I think this is amazing and I have cut grains from my diet multiple times but never lasted because it is so hard being vegan and eating gluten free. Do you have any suggestions for a vegan? A lot of the food recommendations include meat. What do I do if I don’t eat animals?

    Reply

  • Anthony — September 20th, 2010, 11:09 pm

    Bro is talking about health reasons, then he goes on to tell you to eat chicken period, pig, and beef.

    So unhealthy.

    Honestly feel like there are so many different stances on what is the most healthy, that you just have to pick one and stick with it. No time to listen to all the different diets.

    Choose what sounds/works best for you.

    Reply

  • thomas — September 20th, 2010, 11:24 pm

    I can seriously appreciate all of the thought, energy, and time Robb has put into this topic. It strikes me as curious though that the purest indicator is also the most difficult to test for… namely, how would eating this way effect longevity and quality of life? A 10 year test against a placebo would be interesting but how could it be done (fake meat made out of grain??).

    Can people seriously avoid large sections of the food groups for the rest of their lives and is this really comparable to smoking? I have tested removing carbs and eating similar for several months in the past. Also tried a high carb and low fat concept as well. The similarity is funny in that when you go back to eating whatever it is you have cut out you don’t feel as well: fat, carbs, protein, etc… seems the adjustment phase is an issue, not necessarily a proof of bad foods.

    Diets that are ripe in avoidance and deprivation seem hardly beneficial and they avoid a critical component of humanity. The emotional component of eating is a huge issue and challenge for the majority. Who really wants to be the pain in the ass at all of the family gatherings that won’t touch half of the home cooked stuff? Obviously, moving to less processing and eating more veg, fruit, and lean protein is going to be healthier. Grains are a cheap source of calories and shouldn’t be a huge portion of the diet. Less processed and more natural is better – don’t need a degree or a study to see it. We could shift a diet to be more natural and I would guess we would all feel better, though right now, with the country in an epidemic of obesity that stems from sedentary lifestyles and addictive, high sugar foods the kind of physical and mental discipline required to avoid glutens is well beyond the average person.

    Fear sells though doesn’t it?
    Then again, preaching moderation, portion size, and natural eating doesn’t have the sales slant to achieve it’s own niche.

    There isn’t necessarily a harm in trying this out, but there may be a harm in assuming that it is the “way” because when you go back to carbs you don’t feel as well. The body tries to stabilize and regulate around any diet so reintroduction is always a process. Try switching out your cats food all at once. Any vet will tell you to do it slow and a little at a time. (yes I know we’re not cats…) The problem I have with it is in the inevitable fall off of the caveman wagon and the weight gain, guilt, and shame that just adds to another spin on the diet wheel.

    If you’re not eating healthy and then you start eating clean without gluten do you think your blood work will improve? If you take sugar out of kids diet will their health and behavior improve?

    One show I thought was interesting was Dr Oz’s show on people over 100 – the groups of people had several similarities: they ate natural, locally grown foods, they had strong family connections and prioritized family meal times, they had very active lifestyles with physical chores and walks every day, and they all had low stress levels with strong support groups. No mention of avoiding food groups…

    It might be preferable to go with the live group vs. the dug up one.

    Reply

  • Jeffrey — September 20th, 2010, 11:42 pm

    Awesome science, thanks! Is the Paleo diet still the prescribed diet for CrossFit? A little OT: After another season of basketball league, I got frustrated being the “smallest” on the court at 6’1″ 120lb. I’ve been doing Crossfit 2-3x/wk as my only workout for the past 2 years, and haven’t gained any weight. I went with your 5×5 workout and put on 10lbs in a month. However, I’ve gotten slower on the court. Going back to Crossfit now, but I need to find a balance between the 2 workouts. Thanks for all your research, can’t wait to read the book. I’m wondering if you used the pics I submitted?

    Reply

  • Stanley Lee — September 20th, 2010, 11:46 pm

    Wow, where do I begin…It was shocking to learn how grains and beans are killing us in terms of how they are digested and the various chemicals and proteins are harming specific body functions. I have been cutting down on grain and meat (although I eventually want to get rid of grain, beans, and meat entirely) while exercising a lot more since 2010. I heard from a friend that he mixes white rice with brown rice, although I’m doubtful about the intake effects of gluten. What do you think?

    In addiction to the amount of meat (I don’t trust a whole lot of the meat out there as factory farmed garbage is so abundant), I also noticed a fair bit of nut in the content (i.e. danger for those who are allergic). What would you recommend modifying to ensure energy is being refilled while still sticking with the no gluten and lectin diet (or rather Paleo diet)?

    Most importantly, I’m sure there are a fair number of researchers and doctors already confirming this finding. However, people are accustomed to gluten and lectin intakes from grains and beans for ages (thousands of years). In fact, many of them believe that grain and lectin are as healthy as vegetables and fruits to eat as one of the main pillars, on top of government nutritional guides. How would you convey the message of this diet needing to be changed particular if people don’t want to die prematurely, despite ingrained into the conventional belief?

    Thanks for reading this long-winded question,

    Stanley

    P.S. Btw, I’m in the process to become another 4HWW. I’ll let you know when I have a video ready once I did get my first dream coming true!

    Reply

  • Stanley Lee — September 20th, 2010, 11:47 pm

    I meant another 4HWW success story.

    Reply

  • Eddie — September 20th, 2010, 11:53 pm

    This all makes sense to me in theory. I’ve had lots of people in my life who say that the way they eat changes the way they feel, their energy levels and whatnot. But I’ve never noticed any difference. My body does not seem to care what i feed it, with the exception of the odd indigestion from eating too much spicy food, the way I feel and my energy levels are constant.

    My energy level is higher than most peoples and I almost never get sick. I’m willing to change the way I eat to improve my health and my quality of life, I just don’t know how I’ll know it’s making a difference? I’m 46 BTW and feel just as good as I did when I was 20. My girlfriend has been known to refer to me as the alien. While I can eat just about any kind of crap, I eat well most of the time.

    Thanks for the great post!

    Reply

  • Konstantin — September 20th, 2010, 11:54 pm

    Hi Robb/Tim,

    Other than the occasional cookie and slice of pizza, I don’t eat that much grains. However, rice (sushi, fried rice recipes, etc.) and buckwheat (great morning starter) are consumed daily. Would you say that these two grains should be eliminated also?

    It would also be tough to get rid of the yoghurt/kefir with crunchy cereal in the mornings… but then again, maybe that’s whats been giving me dreadful bloating all these years. I keep eating this cuz its fast and the dairy has some probiotics in it which is good for the intestine.

    Other than that… gimme a nice fillet mignon w/ some green and a glass of red every day, baby :)

    Reply

  • Sebastien — September 21st, 2010, 12:06 am

    To complete the puzzle for those who might become interested in paleo nutrition, other than cutting grains, the next step is to cut fructose and sources of omega-6 fat like vegetable oils.

    For those wondering what to eat after cutting all that: fat, lots of it, and animal fat that is. Refer to this previous post by Tim: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/06/06/saturated-fat/

    People tend to push fruits and vegetables a lot, but when it comes right down to the science, you discover that they often don’t bring much more than enjoyment, taste and variety. Most fruits are high in vitamin C, an anti-oxidant, to protect themselves from their own poison, sugar. A lot of vegetables are high in nutrients, but so are organ meat, bone marrow, bone broths, butter, eggs, fish eggs and muscle meat. Most nutrients in those are much more bio-available. Most people are doing just fine on very low or zero carb diets and some benefit from such diets greatly. I don’t want to come off as purist carnivore, but simply bring contrast to the heavy pro-vegetarianism/plant based diets shown in a lot of the comments. Some people are so sick that it takes way more than simply cutting grains to regain health, but also nuts, seeds and fruits.

    I think that any discussion on paleolithic nutrition should mention the importance of fat because otherwise people leave with the impression that they should eat lean protein and veggies. This will leave them hungry, cranky and could even lead to rabbit starvation in the worst cases.

    I understand though that telling people to cut all grains and to eat up to 70% of their calories as saturated fat will make some people’s heads explode.

    I hope though that Robb didn’t make the same mistakes/provisions professor Cordain made in his book about saturated fat just to be more universally accepted or politically correct. Simply too many people are in the know about paleolithic nutrition to accept any saturated fat or dietary cholesterol bashing anymore.

    I’ll know soon enough because I just received his book and will be devouring it tomorrow.

    It’s Tim that made me discover the paleo diet and now the paleo diet comes back to Tim, it has been full circle.

    Reply

  • AJ — September 21st, 2010, 12:12 am

    Dear Tim great article but I have one question. Is the “Becoming Superhuman” book still in the works? I’m excited and I can imagine everyone else is about all of the knowledge you can bestow upon us. Thanks again Tim.

    Reply

  • Bassius — September 21st, 2010, 12:14 am

    Would this apply to people who are diagnosed with ‘IBS’ as well? IBS = Inflammable Bowel Syndrome or Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

    I’ve done a lot of experimenting on behalf of my “illness” but have yet to find a long term solution.

    Reply

  • Elizabeth Allen — September 21st, 2010, 12:29 am

    Your best diet?

    This nutritionist found his path in Alaska from the Inuit:

    Reply

  • Shanina — September 21st, 2010, 12:48 am

    Everyone is so evangelical when they talk about something as precious as food! LOL
    Strangely I changed my diet about 6 months ago to something very close to this thanks to Cyndi OMeara’s “Changing Habits, Changing Lives”, and it has made an amazing difference now. I’ve never really been a foodie and tend to have an “eat for fuel” attitude, so it’s been an easy change.
    One problem I have though is this; I’m a fan of the boiled egg (easier clean up than other egg options) and I got excited when I saw your lesson on peeling boiled eggs without “peeling”. I have tried it and right now the score is “Eggs – 7, me – 0″. Lots of ridiculous moments as eggs and shells have disintegrated in my hand or sprayed across the counter! Tim, tell me it was a joke?

    Reply

  • Jackie M — September 21st, 2010, 1:29 am

    What about people who are insulin resistant, hypoglycemic or diabetic? Total abandonment of carbs in grain form might keep the blood sugar too low and cause fainting spells and dangerous blackouts. Should people with such disorders go on an interim “tapering” diet and work their way up or is it suggested that grains are that poisonous that even a spoonful will cause scatological havoc? Your response would be much appreciated!

    Reply

    • McAnon — October 20th, 2011, 8:54 pm

      There are other carb sources than grains and all those things you’ve listed except T1 diabetes are caused by eating way too many carbs anyways. Don’t believe me? Read Richard K Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution, or go to his website, read it for free.

      Or keep reading some paleo blogs, especially weight loss posts, since the same mechanisms that cause all those problems causes obesity.
      Go to Mark’s Daily Apple and read the Ultimate Guide to Insulin, Blood Sugar & Diabetes (I think that’s what it’s called)

      Reply

  • Adam — September 21st, 2010, 1:31 am

    Brilliant article!

    I’ve been 95% paleo for the past 4 weeks now and in that time haven’t had to take one single prescription antacid – for me wheat and chronic heartburn go hand in hand…

    My tips for anyone following this diet are:

    * Get into Sous Vide cooking – and easily cook meat at restaurant grade with no skills required.

    * Buy yourself a mandoline vegetable slicer and a Benriner vegetable noodle maker. These two cheap tools have made for me eating raw, nutritious vegetables a brand new and thoroughly enjoyable experience.

    * Avoid foods in packets and those with ingredients listings on – nature makes the best food naturally and doesn’t require an interfering scientist to ruin it.

    * If you’re used to highly processed foods then be aware that your taste buds will take a few weeks to get used to fresh fruit, vegetables and meats. Stick with it though because your taste buds change and you’ll relish fresh foods over processed any time!

    Good luck and get stuck in!

    Adam

    Reply

  • Jeff Foster — September 21st, 2010, 1:39 am

    +1 on kindle version of the book. Is anyone listening?

    Reply

  • Chuck Rylant — September 21st, 2010, 1:43 am

    I’m so happy Robb’s book is out. I highly recommend his nutrution seminar. Between Robb, the Zone, and Paleo for Athletes, everything you need to understand nutrition and completely change your life.

    Tim, how much of your new book will be on nutrition verses exercise alone? Perhaps your book should be added to the list when it comes out. Looking forward to it.

    Reply

  • Adam — September 21st, 2010, 1:56 am

    Tim, my girlfriend is a Pescatarian and also has Multiple Sclerosis, your / Robb’s advice should hopefully help with alleviating her condition with the appropriate modification.

    Reply

  • Frank Taeger — September 21st, 2010, 2:25 am

    Hi Tim,

    Instead of this tea, I would actually encourage the best japanese tea I have ever found in all of my travels through Asia :

    http://www.hibiki-an.com

    The tea comes directly from the plantation, is sealed in vacuumed and nitrogen filled containers and provide the most well flavoured tea I have found in almost 10 years of becoming a tea connoisseur, maybe 5 if my teenage years dont count ;)

    As for the Paleo debate :
    It is interesting that most of the time there is disagreement. A friend of mine has already been convinced into doing an actual study for his Phd in medicine on the effects of gluten in the gut flora and on immune reactions in HEALTHY people. This might be groundbreaking actually.
    We actually bet on this stuff. He says most likely he might find nothing and lay the grainbashing to rest once and for all with his dissertation, I believe he might be surprised that there ARE dangers in grain consumption for non celiac people, although I doubt that the danger is as insane as put by the paleo community.

    The argument of “What our ancestors ate” is a great marketing gimmick. It is only semi-practical as a tool of understanding an optimal diet, since it brings with it the presumption that what we evolved on is actually optimal.
    It might turn out that eating the kind of goo all day we have seen in Matrix might be our excitingly “optimal” diet.

    That put aside, it is country dependent also. A friend of mine just visited the US, came back and was horribly shocked at the amounts of processed foods. He said to me “I couldnt even find normal food in a Walmart or other Supermarket! This is insane, now I know what Paul Chek and Mark Sisson meant when they were talking about less processed foods!”

    So the shift to an optimal diet might be different depending on culture. I am an economic psychology student, writing my thesis on culture dependant attitude development. Then, we still have to take genetics as a given, which you have demonstrated with your Tweet on Japanese cultures, is making this even more interesting.

    So, if you would want to take something optimal in dieet and take it down to its smallest core, it would be this :

    Get enough greens and veggies
    Get enough protein, get a complete amino acid profile
    Get enough sun or supplement with Vitamin D3
    Avoid sugars
    Avoid potential poisons and allergens, aka grains and dairy, if you react to them.
    Avoid overeating, involve periodic intermittent 24 hour fasts to increase autophagy of the cells
    Avoid exceeding your maximum calorie intake, especially with carbs and protein, to avoid hyperinsulinemia.

    And that is it.

    Reply

  • Jared — September 21st, 2010, 3:58 am

    Ive been on a paleo diet for some time, I still feel as if I am adjusting. I rarely if ever eat grains or anything of the sort, same goes for beans, legumes, peanut butter and such.

    I still eat dairy though, I know theres some debate within the paleo community. Most of the dairy I eat though is cheese, greek yogurt, and natural, and if possible organic grass fed organic cream.

    I’ve heard raw milk and cream and yogurt are good ways to get dairy and wont have much of an effect.

    I have a reluctance to completely get rid of dairy though. I could easily replace it with coconut milk or cream, since the diet I am on is a high fat paleo diet.

    Would it be wise to try to go without dairy for some time and see how that affects me? Anyone have any experience with this or no?

    I am still dealing with some issues, though Im not sure if they have to do with my diet but they have been depression, anxiety and not sure what else. I also seem to be having joint pain/discomfort in my jaw, particularly on the right side of my jaw.

    Reply

  • avijit — September 21st, 2010, 4:50 am

    hi…nice article there….

    just one doubt…the diet which you are recommending is fine for non-vegetarian people, what about Vegetarians….we have very limited options…..any possible solutions??…..(apart from eating vegetables/fruits the whole time)

    Thanks for the great article neway…….

    Reply

  • Noah Fleming — September 21st, 2010, 5:14 am

    Glad to see Tim write this post.

    I’m a big fan of Robb and finished the book over the weekend. It’s fantastic.

    It’s one of those books that gives you all the science behind why you eat the way you do…(a bit too much science if you’re not to geeky – but overall worth a read)

    That being said, Robb says multiple times, if you’d like to skip the science and just jump to the “how-to”, do it and you will benefit.

    great stuff Tim – thanks for spreading Robb’s work.

    Reply

  • John — September 21st, 2010, 5:20 am

    One question I have, how is seafood not meat? Sorry, that little slight of hand has always confused me.

    Second, for the China Study, hope you all have seen the work of Denise Minger, she basically takes the study and gives it a huge swirly and shows it for the bonk it is.

    http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/07/07/the-china-study-fact-or-fallac/

    Her critique is so damning and thorough that Campbell has basically ignored any real engagement with it in his reply. Aka, he knows he has been caught and has no real way to refute his defenders.

    Per this whole issue, what do you do with the many people groups who are healthy across a wide variety of dietary habits? There are many groups (believe the Georgians, the Loechestal Valley of Sweden, etc.) of people who consume some grains and yet have longevity, excellent development, and long health.

    Perhaps the bigger issue with grains is more us than the grains… an antibiotic, chemical ridden people who have degraded our health for a few generations now.

    Reply

  • Thomas Patterson — September 21st, 2010, 5:29 am

    Interesting read but of course people jump on the POP DIET band wagon. I understand why people would hop on the band wagon though, most have no clue what their ancestors ate or why.

    They ate high carb, high protein, high fat, high whatever was available!

    Let’s get a few things straight.

    1. There was no single “Paleo-Diet” during the “Paleolithic Period”.

    2. Some populations did eat unprocessed grains.

    3. Some carbohydrates in the form of simple or complex are GOOD and also enhance the effects of exercise during and after.

    If you want to go back to the “caveman” period you should..

    1. Hunt for and attack your food every day instead of ordering it.

    2. Search and scavenge the forests for wild fruit, vegetables, and unprocessed grains.

    3. Sometimes Fast because you’re not going to have food for days.

    4. Come to the realization that all the activity/exercise from food hunting, gathering, and fasting was also an integral part of their weight/health maintenance.

    Reply

  • MikeyMike — September 21st, 2010, 5:59 am

    My son at the age of one was projectile vomiting for two weeks after every bite. First change was no grains & oatmeal. He was fine again within 2 days. The second change was no more vaccinations. So perhaps the grains and oatmeal weakened his system and the shots put him over the edge.

    Reply

  • luis — September 21st, 2010, 6:28 am

    Muy interesante y practica la informaicon, voy a buscar el libro para tenerlo y conocer mas

    Reply

  • Matt Diaz — September 21st, 2010, 6:41 am

    Tim,

    I know you are an ardent wine fan, so where does wine fit into Paleo for you if you are in fat loss mode? Would the amount of gluten in beer (I’m talking good, complex craft beer) preclude it from being included anywhere save for maybe a once a week cheat day?

    Reply

  • Archie — September 21st, 2010, 6:46 am

    Tim,

    Ok, I realise that this might have been mentioned earlier on, but there is a ton of information about this, for free, on http://www.marksdailyapple.com .

    You might remember this guy, he sited you in his book the Primal Blueprint.

    Archie

    Reply

  • Archie — September 21st, 2010, 6:51 am

    Ok, I should have checked first…

    Reply

  • Billy Humphrey — September 21st, 2010, 7:08 am

    For all the Average Joe’s out there looking for perspective from someone who has actually followed Robb’s (and Tim’s) advice:

    I was a competitive martial artist in my 20s and ate whatever I wanted, supplemented protein, and had decent performance and relatively low bodyfat (8%-15% depending on training cycle). Priorities shifted in my late 20s – early 30s, stopped training hard, kept eating the same way and gained 60 lbs of bodyfat in 7 years. Decided to do cardio, Globo Gym-type workouts 3 times per week, and ate “in moderation” for 2 years, and saw little result except for a slowdown on weight gain. My doctor put me on a statin for my high LDL cholesterol in 2005, at age 31.

    In May 2006, on my 32nd birthday, I decided enough was enough and started running and switched to a high-carb, low-fat diet. I became a better runner over the course of that year but my weight stayed the same. I couldn’t understand how I could eat “healthy”, run 20 miles per week and still be fat.

    In January 2007 until March 2010, I switched to a low-gi diet similar to Tim’s diet except with more carbs (from “healthy” sources such as whole grains, oatmeal, etc), and dropped 47 pounds over the following eight months. My blood tests showed significant improvement and I halved my statin dose.

    I looked and felt a LOT better, but I still had some nagging issues. Among these were that the evening of and day after my cheat day, which I called “Fatterday Saturday” (feel free to steal that Tim), I felt sick and sluggish. I also hit a plateau on bodyfat loss. Looking to calibrate more, I came across Robb’s blog and the Paleo diet. I was interested but not willing to go to that “extreme” until months after taking up CrossFit in December 2009. I was working out with many CrossFit athletes who were eating the Paleo diet. I was amazed at their performance in the gym and their physiques, so I figured I would try it for 30 days.

    At first it was hard giving up my beloved Fatterday Saturday carb-fest and my daily snack of ezekiel bread with peanut butter and glass of soymilk. But the Sunday gut-busting GI distress and fatigue went away, my performance improved, and my six-pack finally made its first reappearance since I left the kickboxing ring 10 years ago. I can now go half a day without hunger pangs (I used to get hungry many times throughout the day) and my cholesterol has improved to the very good range in spite of quitting the statin six months ago. My initial 30 day trial has become my lifestyle. I still go for that post-workout pizza once in a while, but it’s a gluten-free pizza and that doesn’t give me the GI distress that wheat crust does.

    I know Robb seems uncompromising in his advice. I think it’s because he wants people to succeed, and catering to someone’s unwillingness to do what it takes doesn’t help them. One thing he said stuck with me that shows how much he believes in this. He was at my gym giving a seminar, and when people asked if they can eat soy, or drink muscle milk, or something else that is healthy in their opinion but contrary to the Paleo diet, his response was always, “Not if you want to succeed.”

    I understand people having doubts about the Paleo diet at first glance, since it seems extreme to many and the diet and fitness industry are polluted with “quick fix” fads and overhype. But like Robb says, try it for 30 days, do some tests before and after, and then if it doesn’t work you will know from experience, not conjecture. What do you have to lose?

    Tim/Robb,

    Thanks for the article and for all of your work. Sorry for the long post but maybe it will help someone who is on the fence about this.

    -Bill

    Reply

  • Thad — September 21st, 2010, 7:24 am

    Interesting article and interesting discussion. I noticed that dairy is implicated as causing problems as well, but mostly in passing. I have seen this ina lot of nutrition discussionm but have never really gotten a good explaination why it should be avoided. I love milk and greek yogurt. Any chance somebody could tell me in a reasonable tone of voice and without climbing onto a soapbox why I should skip them? Tim I remember that you said to avoid dairy as well. Gimme some facts please.

    Reply

  • Andrew S — September 21st, 2010, 7:47 am

    Being positive in the sh*tball firestorm… the great part about this article shows that you have a highly educated following and that people are becoming more and more concerned about their health. We only grow if we push the status quo – I believe that is what lifestyle design is all about… this is just a major strategy session, eh?

    Cheers for that Robb and Tim – but don’t disregard my previous post, muhahhahha ;-)

    Reply

  • Stefan Aschan — September 21st, 2010, 8:12 am

    Thanks for the blog Tim. And being more then 17 plus years in the holistic weight loss arena I couldn’t agree more on the issue with gluten.

    You might want to check out as well the book from Jeanne Marie Martin. She wrote the book “Complete Candida Yeast Guide Book”. I found this to be one of the best books to explain the issue but also give a lot of recipes and solutions how to implement a gluten free diet.

    And if you want my Top 5 tips on long term weight loss. here they are [on my site]

    Warm regards,

    Stefan

    Reply

  • Adam — September 21st, 2010, 8:13 am

    So…I was reading along…generally interested, but not really engaged until I got to the part about Vitiligo. My wife has vitiligo and while the sight of it doesn’t bother me…it does bother her. Do you have any actual studies/examples of reversal of the effects of vitiligo by following this kind of diet?

    Thanks!

    Reply

  • Song Yongdao — September 21st, 2010, 8:14 am

    Seems foods these days are either ‘super-food’ panaceas or the root of our problems. Then as soon as we buy wholesale into one ideology, the tables turn, and yesterday’s hero is tomorrow’s villain. Honestly, watching the progress, if you could call it that, of modern dietetics is like watching a pendulum swing or a game of playground tether ball.

    The gluten-free diet is a medical diet, that is, it’s not balanced but it has a goal. I question the mind of anyone who claims one diet fits all, but considering most people’s background with wildly overeating grains, especially processed grains, and meats, I think a lot of people, particularly westerners, would see good results from this.

    But is it good long term? I’ll wager the grain-phobic crowd will just run into other problems down the road, once they’ve treated their disease, drive right on past the center line, and wind up on the other side of imbalanced lifestyle.

    Reply

  • Steve Beisheim — September 21st, 2010, 8:32 am

    I believe in the paleo diet, but I don’t believe it for everyone. The most successful people following this are going to be Blood Type 0.

    Meat Eating Blood Type 0 people make up about 44% of the population in the world and about 75% of the Native American Population (which is why white man killed the buffalo, it almost killed the entire native american community).. We have strong stomach acid, and the ability to break down fat very well…(intestinal alkaline phoshotase). even behind our two front teeth are usually shoveled..a design created for tearing flesh…

    For people who do not respond that wonderfully to the paleo diet, I’d imagine you would be blood type A. 41% of the population. Genetically your body is “newer” than 0 bodies and you can’t break down fats as well and have low stomach acid… Not a great combo for people who are “supposed” to be eating red meat….A’s can handle more carbs, fruits, and soy (i know i know… but it’s true) than us Paleo Eaters….

    All of my wellness clients have benefitted from a more individual approach to their diet. B’s and AB’s thrive on dairy it seems (from all of the people I’ve consulted with at least) but A’s and 0′s do not…From the clients I consult with they usually feel better very quickly and many “issues” resolve as the body naturally regains homeostatis and well being…

    Raw anything seems to be more effective than cooked things…..(hence sprouted grains/legumes for non paleo eating A types)

    Admittedly, wheat (whole wheat too) is pretty nasty stuff for ALL BLOOD TYPES and it is to be avoided.. I MUST AGREE WITH the PALEO SOLUTION 100% on that one… It’s a mutant grain and it isn’t designed for consumption (anymore). Same thing with swine.. (pork)..

    I’m really just looking to help people find solutions to diet that are being addressed by an more individual/genetic approach to diet and this exactly why the blood type way of eating is so effective…

    Reply

  • Tricia — September 21st, 2010, 8:34 am

    Pastured beef, pork & chicken and raw dairy are very healthy, I wish he had mentioned raw dairy. I def need reminding of my grain eating habits, starting a new business & moving have me eating all kinds of poison and just finding myself fatter and more miserable. I’ve printed out the menu and I’m doing it today!

    Reply

  • Chris — September 21st, 2010, 8:36 am

    Great read. Can’t wait for the book.

    What about potatoes? Particularly white ones. I still can’t wrap my head around them being unhealthy. Sure, lots of anything starchy is not good. Fried and salted is bad. Otherwise, I think the occasional white potato is good.

    Any thoughts?

    Reply

  • Steve Beisheim — September 21st, 2010, 8:42 am

    I’m thrilled Rob discusses Lectins as well.. As this is amazingly important…
    Not all lectins are negative.. Some are positive…

    –Soy has a lectin that is beneficial for some.. Not so for others.
    –Wheat has a lectin (WGA – as the article addresses) that is harmful for everyone…
    –Escargot (snails) have a lectin that binds to Anthrax ( if i remember correctly)
    - Bananas have a lectin that binds to HIV (inhibiting its replication)
    - Peanuts have a lectin that can proliferate colon cancer…for some yet inhibits cancer for others…

    and on and on and on…… one’s man’s food is another man’s poison ….
    Not much research goes into lectins because unless CORPS patent all foods there is no way to directly profit (unless helping people is your goal)…

    Reply

  • Mir Kocian — September 21st, 2010, 8:44 am

    Hi Tim!
    I do consider your articles as inspiring. Although, Lately one thing struck me. I have just read about your slow carb diet how-to-lose-20-lbs-of-fat-in-30-days-without-doing-any-exercise/. I think there is something about it.
    I have found 2 totally contradictions-
    in that diet (sometimes in comments) you suggest to eat lot of legumes. About whole grain and dairy you said that it is acceptable but not to eat to much and watch it to be it whole grain or for dairy to be it light.

    Now I have read this article and found:

    “Have you diligently consumed a “smart” diet of whole grains, legumes, and low-fat dairy as per the recommendations of your dietician and doctor? Do you see how ridiculous that suggestion is in light of what you now know about grains, legumes, and dairy?”

    What I see now ridiculous is how on Earth is possible to eat at least something?
    One article forbids to eat fruits and encourages to eat legumes, in low amount allows to eat whole grain and dairy.
    The second article encourages to eat fruits and forbids to eat grains, legumes and dairy.
    So what is the truth?
    There is no spoon? Definitely no spoon to eat with for a person who tries to sum up both diets:)

    I claim that I admire you for what you have achieved, I do not want to offend you at all. I might have read and understood many things bad. Feel free to explain it to me, please, because I do think that these ways of lifestyle you are suggesting are very good, just to be understood properply.
    I think there must be some hack like:
    1.you can do slow carb, when you reach what you want, start to eat ”no grain”
    2.only person that are allergic in some way to whole grain cannot eat grain
    3.there are limits- 1kg of beans per week, 1kg whole bread per week

    or the one you gonna write:)

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 21st, 2010, 3:47 pm

      Hi Mir,

      Thanks for the comment. No offense taken. To clear things up:

      1) This post is Robb’s post. I agree that his Paleo approach works very well for fat loss, as just one example.

      To your questions:

      “One article forbids to eat fruits and encourages to eat legumes, in low amount allows to eat whole grain and dairy.
      The second article encourages to eat fruits and forbids to eat grains, legumes and dairy.
      So what is the truth?”

      2) I think Robb would agree that, unless you are lean, it’s a good idea to go easy on the fruit. I’m just more strict in that sense. Any more than a handful of berries stalls fat loss for me, and my post was focused on fat loss. I do not suggest whole grain or dairy, unless we’re talking about the “day off.”

      The truth is that, for fat loss, both will work. My version is a more lenient on the legumes, but it’s still a VAST improvement over consuming grains, as Robb also describes.

      Just cut out the starch to the greatest extent possible and eat plenty of lean protein and veggies. That’s all you really need to know :)

      Good luck!

      Tim

      Reply

  • Rebecca — September 21st, 2010, 8:45 am

    You can get gluten free anything these days — and the market and knowledge base is only improving.

    I’ve got Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 26. No family history. “Weird, right?” I’m sure it had to do with being over-medicated as a kid and with my diet. My immune system was shot. (I’m six years in remission now and controlling my Hashimoto’s without a bit of synthetic hormones. Thank goodness.)

    I’m gluten free now and I really don’t miss pasta or bagels or crackers or any of the other processed stuff. Once your brain stops craving it, you wonder why you ever wanted it to begin with.

    Another good post Tim. Cheers.

    Reply

  • glen — September 21st, 2010, 8:58 am

    @ j

    I believe you are right on about the adulterated food chain! After Noah left the ark, eating meat was allowed for the first time ever since vegetation was wiped out for a while. Prior to that it was mostly fruits as I recall (BTW anyone who believes the WWflood is a fairy tale needs to try to explain the reasons for the ice age.) Plus, God said in the Old Testament to never screw around with grain genetics.

    Now what do we have? Grains (and most food down the line) that are nothing like our ancestors ate and are designed to resist everything under the sun in the field. So, why would they be very different once they reach our gut? Add in the molds that can occur during storage/transport and it gets worse. How about game animals? Well, what if they ingest genetically modified corn, grains, etc? Who even knows.

    This is a very BIG deal, and I think solutions are nil regarding ever getting a totally safe grain or legume. Organic may be close but not perfect by any means.

    Reply

  • Robb Wolf — September 21st, 2010, 9:09 am

    Mcalvey-
    You seem well intentioned but you are in over your head here amigo. The greatest concentration of celiac are in refugee centers:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10210014

    In fact, the main difference between HIV and AIDS is the progression to a leaky guy, of which grains may play a major role:
    HIV Disease Progression: Immune Activation, Microbes, and a Leaky Gut:
    http://www.iasusa.org/pub/topics/2007/issue4/114.pdf

    So, I suggested a book, The Vegetarian Myth which addresses the resource allocation questions. All the folks who have concerns in this area…buy the book and read it.

    Thiago-
    Glad you liked that.

    Jared-
    As with all this stuff, if the diary works for you good to go. I try to steer folks towards grass fed dairy.

    All-E versions of the book will be out in about a month.

    Konstantin-
    It’s totally up to you. If you want to tinker and eliminate those foods, go for it. One month later re-introduce and see how you are doing. My point is that folks are consistently surprised by how much better they feel.

    Jeffrey-
    Officially Crossfit endorses the Zone which I find to be an epic fail. I argued against this and was fired for opening my mouth…but the results are pretty clear. If BB is your game I’d olympic lift, sprint and EAT. CF football or the Max effort black-box teplate from Coach Rut would also be beneficial:
    http://coachrut.blogspot.com/

    Get big, get powerful, let your sport build your “cardio.”

    Anon-
    The insulin issue is a good way to get people thinking about how metabolic derangement starts, but mechanistically it starts with a loss of satiety signaling (leptin, PYY, CCK, Adipinopectin…). This ultimately DOES relate to carbohydrate intake, particularly fructose but this explains why insulin releasing foods (like protein) do not cause insulin resistance, and in fact are at the heart of reversing insulin resistance because of improved satiety. Read through the Kitava references I had wrote above. The point to take away from that is to avoid insulin resistance caused by grain intolerance.

    One other thought to consider: The vegetarian camp gets quite worked up about low carb diets yet they have been used therapeutically for nearly 100 years to treat epilepsy:
    http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/treatment_ketogenic_diet

    The ketogenic diet is also being studied in various forms of endothelial derived cancers such as breast, colon, prostate and brain tumors:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17313687

    This is for a very specific reason: the primary fuel for cancer is glucose. Starve the cancer of glucose (yes, complex carb count here folks!) and you can not only halt the progression of cancer, but via the process of hormesis you can immunize normal cell against chemo and radiation.

    Finally, and this is always a fun one to spring on dietitians: is therapeutic fasting good for us? Is a calorie restricted diet that make s us lose weight good for us? In general folks will say “yes” but in both of these states we are burning FAT as the primary fuel source!! We are in ketosis and the metabolic state is indistinguishable from a LOW CARB diet.

    Miki-
    I’d direct your dad to the work at Boston University of Dr. Seyfried and Veech:
    http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/4/1/5
    Google searches for “ketosis cancer” might also be helpful.

    Greg-
    Pamela’s has a damn good gluten free brownie mix. Perfect for “mass gain protocols.”

    Sima-
    I’m an “A” blood type but eating that way would crush me. Perhaps 1in 40 folks benefit from 15-30mg of GLA/DGLA from primrose or borage oil instead of fish oil in the case of acne. Whether you follow paleo or not you will likely find that helpful

    Reply

  • xeno — September 21st, 2010, 9:42 am

    Ok, I am hooked to your blog and am reading your 4 hour work week.
    Thank you for inspiring me!
    Xeno

    Reply

  • Dan — September 21st, 2010, 9:51 am

    When it comes to diet it amazes me how millions of people simply brush aside the obvious solution in search for “the amazing secrets”. WAKE UP! Thousands of very bright doctors have been studying this stuff for years, and none have reached this person’s conclusion AFAICT. There is no one answer / one culprit / one fix-all! Stop throwing your money away on books and diet plans and gurus. You want me to “save your life” for free? Three steps.

    1. Every day eat a balanced diet (some reasonable combination and reasonable portions of: meats, veggies, fruits, nuts, non-white-breads, dairy, plus a decent amount juice / water / coffee throughout the day). Avoid heavily processed carbs, fast food, and stuff that is loaded with high fructose corn syrup. A couple servings a week isn’t a big deal, a couple a day is a very big deal (what most people -even dieters- do). Seems like everything we do now is out of balance. Our diets, our work schedules, cell phone and tv time. Don’t look for a magic bullet when common sense will serve 95% of us just fine.

    2. Get off your butts and do 30-45 minutes of real exercise every day (or even every other day!). Jog, do push-ups, use gimmicks like p90x, play soccer, go for a swim or bike ride, whatever the heck you want; just get out there and work your heart / lungs / body a little bit each day! You don’t have to be one of these BS fitness clowns on TV; just be active every day. Sweat a little, have some fun, blow off some steam! If nothing else, your skin will look better for it. ;)

    People get fixated on this “hard body” stuff, then get frustrated when they don’t end up looking (anything) like the TV clowns after two months, and quit. We ALL have different body types and only about 30% of us have body types that will allow us to have that perfectly framed physique. The rest of us are going to have to settle for a healthy and toned (but otherwise modestly flawed) physique. Deal with it!

    What Bally doesn’t want you to know: our genes play as big a role in our physiques as which workouts we use. Example: if you’ve always been skinny, even though you eat like a horse and workout a lot, you’re never going to look like a linebacker, so stop obsessing about it. Just be healthy! Same deal if you’ve always been active but a little portly. It’s NOT a big deal. Get your checkups, make sure your blood work is showing good results, but as long as you’re eating well and exercising and feel good, who cares if you’re a little bulkier than the freaks on TV? BE YOU. I don’t know about you guys, but when I’m at the coffee house I don’t want to meet Joe or Jane Hollywood; I want to hang out with a normal human being who is OK with their quirks / can be a little self-deprecating about it. Don’t take this stuff too seriously: none of us are getting out alive.

    3. Make sure you get 5-6 hours of solid sleep a night / don’t be an idiot and run your body into the ground with 70 hour work weeks, unless it’s required to literally feed your family and keep a roof over their head. My hat’s off to you if that’s the case. I couldn’t do it.

    Follow these steps and 98% of you will feel better, lose weight and realize the truth after about 3 weeks: this gluten stuff is a gimmick diet just like all the others. Fixated on one thing that can have very bad side effects, ignoring the obvious (that millions have been eating diets with plenty of this stuff in it all their lives, and are normal, healthy people) and cherry picking their data and examples to sound dramatic. If what this article implies were true, we’d all be dead or gravely ill by age 35. Especially in the United States. Balance and moderation… balance and moderation. Repeat it to yourself.

    Reply

  • Daniel — September 21st, 2010, 9:52 am

    @Robb:
    As I said, your post really made me thinking, thanks for that.

    Can you please answer this question:
    Someone posted a link to a video by Tim VanOrden above (strg+f and type in ‘protein myth’) where VanOrden says that we actually don’t need protein because our body actually builds it out of amino acids which we can get by eating raw fruit because those are full of enzyms.
    When I heard this I thought about chimpanzees who are much stronger than humans and don’t eat that much meat. This is also true for Bonobos who eat no meat at all. You could argue that this is because they spend all their day climbing, but when you look at Gorillas, who don’t climb that much and are very muscular, it seems to me that what VanOrden says is true. I don’t know that much about the involved chemical processes and I assume that the mentioned species are similar enough to us (which I think is reasonable and probably as justified as comparing ourselves to our paleo ancestors) to justify this conclusion.

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 21st, 2010, 3:39 pm

      Hi Daniel,

      Just a quick note. While it’s true that chimps (our close relatives) eat a majority of fruit, they absolutely hunt and kill other animals. From http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~stanford/chimphunt.html :

      “Throughout her years of research, Jane Goodall has noted that the Gombe chimpanzees tend to go on “hunting crazes,” during which they would hunt almost daily and kill large numbers of monkeys and other prey (Goodall 1986). The explanation for such binges has always been unclear. My own research has focused on the causes for such spurts in hunting frequency, with unexpected results. The explanation for sudden changes in frequency seems to be related to whatever factors promote hunting itself; when such factors are present to a high degree or for an extended period of time, frequent hunting occurs. For example, the most intense hunting binge we have seen occurred in the dry season of 1990. From late June through early September, a period of 68 days, the chimpanzees were observed to kill 71 colobus monkeys in 47 hunts. It is important to note that this is the observed total, and the actual total of kills that includes hunts at which no human observer was present may be one-third greater. During this time the chimpanzees may have killed more than 10 % of the entire colobus population within their hunting range (Stanford et al. 1994).”

      Reply

  • Betty — September 21st, 2010, 10:10 am

    I think this is so important to highlight this kind of stuff. there is more and more obese people here too.
    I remember when I used to be a kid (20 yrs ago), if there was somebody obese, everyone knew that person had some kind of disease. Today it’s so different….

    Reply

  • Perry Permann — September 21st, 2010, 10:24 am

    … and there’s always the possibility to look at what professionals (gym trainers and so on) are doing to get and keep a fit and lean body. They tend to say: No carbs. Veggies and lean meat.
    Basically more evidence on the ideas behind this diet.

    Reply

  • BobC — September 21st, 2010, 10:38 am

    I’m pretty skeptical of any diet/nutrition advice this sweeping. People’s reactions to it here, and their anecdotal accounts of outcomes, are predictably quite variable. People differ so much in their individual biology that proscriptive approaches like paleo are destined to work great for some and terrible for others, with a muddling of mediocre results between those two extremes.

    It’s anecdotal as well, but tor me, and for many others I know and train with, what’s worked consistently has been a well-balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables, a variety of meats and other plant-based and animal proteins, and adequate fiber from grains and legumes, combined with consistent, moderate to high intensity physical activity. I’m middle-aged, as healthy as I’ve ever been, and grains are a regular aspect of my overall diverse diet. I’m not saying paleo doesn’t “work” (to the extent that any diet “works”), but it strikes me as just one possibility among many possible ways of eating.

    Reply

  • LG — September 21st, 2010, 11:01 am

    I stopped reading after GT’s comment. But I saw a lot of good ones. And, I think Erica has an excellent one: gluten is in everything these days. It is extremely hard to cut it out entirely.

    When people cut out bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, they lose weight.

    Processed foods, and foods with sugar tend to be overeaten. Therefore they cause increase in fat, which causes increases in inflammation and SO many other issues. Body fat is one of our main causes of illness and indirect causes of death these days.

    My answer is to eat more fruits and veggies, less of the rest, and stay away from junk.

    Reply

  • Amanda — September 21st, 2010, 11:34 am

    Hey Tim!

    It was fascinating to read this blog post. I have suffered from IBS as well as “unexplained” infertility for 2 years. Someone suggested to me that I may have Celiacs or a gluten intolerance and so I decided to give it a try. I have been gluten-free (not paleo’s but at least gluten-free) for about 3-4 months now and I feel great! I also just found out that I am 8 weeks pregnant. I will never go back to eating gluten again! Thanks for the informative article!

    ~Amanda

    Reply

  • Amanda — September 21st, 2010, 11:45 am

    I have celiac disease and have now been gluten free for years, though still eat corn, rice, quinoa and beans. I am also a vegetarian, so giving up all those things leaves me very little to eat. Happy to hear thoughts, suggestions.

    Reply

  • Neal Bell — September 21st, 2010, 11:54 am

    Quick follow-up: Our web-based gluten-free recipe service (glutenfreeweekly[dot]com) does not follow Robb’s suggestions completely, but is easily adaptable to them.

    Best,

    Neal

    Reply

  • Soon to be Ex-ExZonie — September 21st, 2010, 12:05 pm

    Great post, and a lot to think about.

    I am living with kidney failure (the aftermath of multiple myeloma) and have been eating a largely vegan diet for three years. There are so many weird “no-no’s” on the dialysis diet — the following are discouraged:

    Nuts
    Whole grains
    Beans
    Potassium rich vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, squash, and tomatoes
    Fresh fruits especially grapes, strawberries, oranges and mangoes
    Dairy

    The dialysis providers do gladly recommend such hearty fare as sugar, candy, white bread, red meat, cooked or canned fruit, artificial creamer and white rice. Go to the DaVita diet “helper” and see for yourself. Makes you wish you could be on dialysis, doesn’t it?

    I’ve already eliminated meat, dairy (for the most part) and beans, potatoes, and all white food. I do eat a LOT of salads and I do eat fresh fruit despite the prohibition. My labs are great, so far, but it’s hard to eat right unless you’re near a Whole Foods store.

    Do you guys consult in Phoenix, and can you take dialysis patients? Most dietitians (except those who work for the dialysis providers) won’t touch my care with a ten-foot pole.

    Reply

  • Heyward — September 21st, 2010, 12:40 pm

    Strongest vegan I’ve ever met, Avi Leyhani http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=bio_avi

    Reply

  • Peter Johnson — September 21st, 2010, 1:03 pm

    Good stuff, but when I see articles like this it is only SOME of the information and it only gets you part-way to the health answers we all seek.

    About me: I used to be a big fat guy (5’10, 250), who smoked and drank way too much until I read a book that changed my life: Cleanse & Purify Thyself by Richard Anderson (http://cleanse.net/books.aspx). It’s pretty much everything you ever needed to know about living the most healthy, highest performance life possible–given the filthy world we live in (and the crap we eat), and the corrupt “health care” system we deal with in the west. And this thing is footnoted like crazy with massive amounts of evidence. It changed my life. If it cures your cancer, don’t blame me (or tell the FDA)

    I lost 50 pounds in one month (28 days) and another 35 in the following 3 months as my body went back to homeostasis. And afterwords, cigs and booze had literally zero appeal–negative appeal actually, but give me an organic peach and I’ll tear into it like a death row inmate with a…well, you get what I mean.

    One of the biggest side-effects people report (after feeling lighter, stronger, and more energetic) is that they feel closer to God. I’ll have to agree with that.

    PJ

    PS–4HWW is the book I recommend (or gift) most. I love the topics you cover here, too.

    Reply

  • Jenny — September 21st, 2010, 1:03 pm

    I went on an elimination diet this summer at the suggestion of my naturopath. Despite initial withdrawal symptoms, I have never felt better. Re-introducing gluten and dairy was rough and I have since been gluten/dairy free.
    On a gluten-free, dairy-free diet I:
    a) have more energy,
    b) think more clearly,
    c) am less bloated, and
    d) hunger pangs have subsided.
    I was shocked to discover that this is the way I’m supposed to feel!!!
    Thanks for the info Tim & Robb.

    Reply

  • Rachel — September 21st, 2010, 1:36 pm

    Curious article, though I’ll agree with others that the writing style tends to turn me off. As a scientist I like my facts with data, cold and hard.

    Here are a couple of rhetorical question for all to ponder: (1) How frequently did our paleolithic ancestors eat? (2) And, how often did they eat meat, in particular. I’m no anthropologist, but my guess would be (1) sparingly, what little they were able to forage and (2) not that often since hunting is a rather energy-intensive endeavor, which often results in failure.

    If true, the conclusion would be that if you REALLY want to follow a paleolithic diet, regular fasting, light snacking (fruit, nuts) and very occasional consumption of meat would be the way to go. Of course, this analysis discounts the diets of our coastal dwelling paleolithic ancestors, who probably benefited from a diet rich in fish. Alas, fish in today’s polluted waters bioaccumulate a lot of bad stuff – so what is a smart, health conscious person supposed to eat?

    Reply

  • Sjors Provoost — September 21st, 2010, 1:39 pm

    If you combine all (potentially good) diet advise, you can’t eat anything. I’d like to call this the “you can’t eat anything” paradox. Despite vasts amounts of misinformation and lots of stuff that only effects tiny numbers of people, I’m sure you can make a solid case for not eating almost anything.

    I think there’s a very simple explanation for this paradox.

    In evolution everything is a trade-off between benefits and risks. The job of evolution is to come up with an organism that gets as much valu as possible with limited risks. The more sources of energy (food) we consume, the bigger the risks of poisoning ourselves. More social contacts can be good for your career, but also means you meet more people who want to do you harm. Love is nice, but then there’s STD’s.

    Take the Koala bear as a sad example of this: their main food supply is extremely bad for their teeth. After a few years, they die from starvation because they can’t chew their food anymore. Life is cruel.

    Back to this specific diet suggestion.

    The Paleo diet takes away a number of risks, but this article does not show us the new risks that are introduced. The only way to find those new risks is to study vast present day(!) populations on that diet.

    With rising popularity that experiment is taking care of itself. But it would probably be pretty unethical under normal circumstances.

    Reply

  • 99mars — September 21st, 2010, 1:41 pm

    hookers, cocaine, and pastries: my favorite!

    Reply

  • Tricia — September 21st, 2010, 1:47 pm

    Also, I’d like his opinion from http://www.agriculturesociety.com/?p=5847

    “properly prepared grains they are easier to digest because grains contain phytic acid, a substance that blocks the absorption of nutrients. When grains are soaked, sprouted, and fermented, the phytic acid becomes neutralized and digestion is improved.”

    Reply

  • nlunahisano — September 21st, 2010, 1:47 pm

    hi tim

    i made the pre order for The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman…..but i cant wait for december !!!!!!!!! in argentina ill´receive it maybe in 27th december!!!
    i really wanto read it now!!!
    thanks a lot for all!!!!!!! you are a source of inspiration for me. and thanks to you a find doonor chose and i feel good to help people ….its amazing!!!!

    Reply

  • Jay — September 21st, 2010, 2:08 pm

    I’m 28 and was just diagnosed with ulcerative colitis a few months ago. It’s an auto-immune disease that affects my intestines. My doctor says that food isn’t the cause, but I’ve already noticed certain foods REALLY mess me up (so far: rice, pinto beans, corn and peas). Maybe these same foods are the ones that slowly chipped away at my system and I didn’t know it? This article is VERY interesting to me, and think I’ll have to give this diet a try (though i’m still skeptical)–thanks for posting!
    -Jay, Alabama

    Reply

    • Lane — November 22nd, 2010, 9:42 am

      Jay,

      Several years ago, my wife had a severe attack of UC. Her twin sister previously had her large intestine removed for the same condition. My wife was hospitalized for an extended period, and was close to toxic mega colon. The hospital did nothing for her diet. While drugs slowly helped the bleeding stop, it was slow progress. She had a bruise on her arm that didn’t heal the entire time she was in the hospital. Once out of the hospital, I fed her a special diet with zero gluten, and zero saccharides, other than monosaccharides (think honey). She quickly improved. The bruise on her arm healed. Her frequency of bowl movements dropped daily. She stayed strict with this diet for 6 months before reintroducing foods she loved and didn’t have on that diet. She hasn’t taken drugs for years, and her UC symptoms are pretty much gone. If she has a flare up, she gets strict with her diet, and it immediately clears up. No one will fund a food study like they will a drug study, so we lack the benefit of that kind of information. But we can all try it for ourselves. At the time, I didn’t have this resource at my disposal. I found related information that ultimately led me to a book called Breaking the Vicious Cycle. While it saved my wife’s life, this Paleo diet information explains why. Good luck.

      Reply

  • Ki'une — September 21st, 2010, 2:50 pm

    Sounds like a decent diet. As with all diets, avoiding junk food and sticking on track is more important. Giving all things a go, I’m trying the Thrive Diet, which is a whole foods based vegan diet for rock climbers, ironmen, etc. The author recommends sprouting or overnight soaking to remove the indigestibles from grains.

    Vegetarian, vegan, or not, on the point of what we’ve evolved to eat, we should remember that we probably haven’t evolved to adapt to modern refrigeration, allowing us to eat much more meat than our ancestors. Or, in an example in the book “The Mad Cowboy”, our relatives. Chinese Americans down 10 times more meat than their Eastern counterparts – and also have many more health problems to boot.

    As with all things, good in moderation, bad in excess.

    Reply

  • Jonathan koumaris — September 21st, 2010, 3:18 pm

    Interesting article, have read some similar suggestions from Paul Chek and on TNATION; but I like the detailed background info on digestion. However I am curious about the food preparation practices (like soaking beans), that have evolved over time that could break down some of these plant defences? Are there other practices that we have forgotten or are undiscovered? It amazes me how different cultures are able to eat foods ranging at such extremes ( almost pure fish diet—-to almost entirely plant based diet) and still be healthy. I tried gluten free for 6 months and lost 20lbs however I lost muscle mass as well because I stopped training so my results are confounded. However this article motivated met to give it a try again. I was also wondering if you have a list of carbohydrate that suffice as I was always told that quinoa was ok…..

    Cheers,

    JON

    Reply

  • Jonathan koumaris — September 21st, 2010, 3:20 pm

    ….Sorry just realised the article I read on T-mag or TNATION may be yours!!

    Reply

  • Adam — September 21st, 2010, 3:21 pm

    Then why do Mediterranean people who eat breads, legumes, dairy all the time have the best health and longest lifespans?

    Reply

  • Stanley Lee — September 21st, 2010, 3:53 pm

    I’m reposting my comment again as I don’t think the last one showed up properly:

    Wow, where do I begin…It was shocking to learn how grains and beans are killing us in terms of how they are digested and the various chemicals and proteins are harming specific body functions. I have been cutting down on grain and meat (although I eventually want to get rid of grain, beans, and meat entirely) while exercising a lot more since 2010. I heard from a friend that he mixes white rice with brown rice, although I’m doubtful about the intake effects of gluten. What do you think?

    In addiction to the amount of meat (I don’t trust a whole lot of the meat out there as factory farmed garbage is so abundant), I also noticed a fair bit of nut in the content (i.e. danger for those who are allergic). What would you recommend modifying to ensure energy is being refilled while still sticking with the no gluten and lectin diet (or rather Paleo diet)?

    Most importantly, I’m sure there are a fair number of researchers and doctors already confirming this finding. However, people are accustomed to gluten and lectin intakes from grains and beans for ages (thousands of years). In fact, many of them believe that grain and lectin are as healthy as vegetables and fruits to eat as one of the main pillars, on top of government nutritional guides. How would you convey the message of this diet needing to be changed particular if people don’t want to die prematurely, despite ingrained into the conventional belief?

    Thanks for reading this long-winded question,

    Stanley

    P.S. Btw, I’m in the process to become another 4HWW success story. I’ll let you know when I have a video ready once I did get my first dream coming true!

    Reply

  • Bob Limbach — September 21st, 2010, 3:57 pm

    Robb and Tim,
    I have seen many articles on the benefits of Quinoa, for being nutrient packed and gluten free. My wife is gluten intolerant and we enjoy this “seed”. The article touches on the detrimental effects of saponins, but I have not been able to find any studies or articles about this substance being harmful. In fact most information claims saponins are highly beneficial, lowering cholestorol just to name one. Can you point me to any specific research or other findings regarding the negatives of saponins in the body and is your position that the positive benefits do not exist? Is is true that much of the saponins are removed if rinsed thoroughly and properly prepared?

    Reply

  • Evan — September 21st, 2010, 4:14 pm

    Tim,

    Blood tests- you mentioned them as the best personal “report card” for a given diet. What blood tests have you found as the most credible / best information? (e.g. doctor given test vs. herbalist given test)

    In addition, what type places and/or resources in SF area would you recommend?

    Thanks.

    Evan

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 21st, 2010, 10:13 pm

      Hi Evan,

      I hate to say it, but I don’t trust herbalists much. Too many misdiagnoses I’ve seen in friends. Check out one of the MDs at Clear Center of Health in Mill Valley, just up over the bridge. They’ll get you sorted.

      Tim

      Reply

  • Steve Beisheim — September 21st, 2010, 4:46 pm

    The whole notion of counting calories appears to be a myth as well as the balanced diet..

    You truly don’t need this huge variety of food. I think this stems from the idea of all the competing interests to get people to eat from their particular business. Some people thrive on steaks only. Others could probably thrive on rice or soy milk alone for years.. I think the mind is very powerful and beliefs combined with the appropriate diet for our genetics, we can be invincible.

    Obviously food effects our body’s chemistry so finding appropriate foods that work the best and make you feel the best is key…

    Most anyone can achieve wellness by eating raw living foods. I include meat in this category. The less processed the better.

    Eat soybeans instead of drinking Soy Milk. Rare/Raw Beef vs. Roast Beef. Raw Salads vs. Stir Fry’s. etc..

    Reply

  • Jared — September 21st, 2010, 4:56 pm

    To those who think that paleolithic man ate little meat, you are mistaken. Recent estimates have the average at around 60% of food calories. Also, recent studies have reasoned that homo sapien could not have evolved such a large brain without the benefit of the dense energy source of animal fats and protein.

    Also, the idea that we should eat like Gorillas is fine until you realize that Gorillas can turn fiber into fat. We do not have this capability.

    Also, Bonobos and Chimps eat their own shit to get more out of digestion. I think you might be able to eat like them if you adopted the practice but I doubt it.

    Check out Barry Groves talk on youtube on how mammals all eat a high fat diet. Or look at the webpage here:

    http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/should-all-animals-eat-a-high-fat-low-carb-diet.html

    All of the vegetarian athletes people have linked above, I’m sure, consume vast quantities of brown rice/soy/etc. protein. These are proteins created in a manufacturing plant, using fossil fuels, and a lot of processing. Wouldn’t you rather just eat the cows who concentrate energy and protein in one convenient place (pasture-raised of course) without the need for chemical processing?

    Reply

  • Robb Wolf — September 21st, 2010, 5:24 pm

    Bobc-
    Exactly, so why not give it a shot and report your N=1 experimental findings. Until then it’s all conjecture and start looks like debates between political parties.

    Adam-
    Please read the reference above comparing a Paleo diet and a Mediteranian diet in the resolution of Type 2 diabetes. Paleo completely reversed the condition, Mediterranean did not.

    Jonathan K- Yea, the Tnation dealio was a serious love-fest!

    Jay-
    Your doctor is failing you on the Ulcerative colitis front. Typical, but unacceptable:
    http://robbwolf.com/tag/ulcerative-colitis/

    Tricia-
    That statement need to be modified along these lines: “phytates and anti-nutrients are REDUCED…” Sprouting reduces problems, but does not eliminate them. Please see my links above on sprouts and Lupus/Rheumatoid arthritis.

    Rachael-
    Amazing that a scientist looking for “hard facts” missed the several hundred references listed thus far! It is also intriguing that after calling for “facts” you launch into no small amount of conjecture and decide that meat was a transient food stuff…all while admitting NO anthropological background. What is truly fascinating about all this is if this was a piece about mid 18th century Russian Literature folks would read, perhaps draw some conclusions but no one would claim such sweeping understanding of the topic without actually STUDYING the topic. I guess since everyone eats and we are all human this makes us all experts on human origins and optimal nutrition? Well, to your questions:
    1-Our ancestors tended to eat 1-2x/day. Scarcity was common on the 72 hr time scale but starvation was quite rare until the advent of agriculture:
    http://www.thepaleodiet.com/articles/Diabetologia.pdf

    http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/low-carb-diets/nutrition-and-health-in-agriculturalists-and-hunter-gatherers/
    (that another repeat from before)

    This is in stark contrast to the body-building/dietetics recommendations of 4-6 meals per day. This is also right at the heart of using evolutionary theory to assess a question: How often should we eat for health? Is eating 6 meals per day better for health than three? The answer lies in our genetic past which seems to indicate some kind of an intermittent fating schedule to be very beneficial for both body composition and health. I’d written about his extensively (some of those references above that you missed) and my friend Martin Berkhan has brought the whole concept to a refined point:
    http://www.leangains.com/

    And three meal trump six meals. I’m having a hell of a time finding that research so I’ll leave that to you to play with.

    Next question: How much/often did we eat meat? In evolutionary biology this question is framed from the standpoint of “optimum foraging strategy.” How much energy does one get per unit cost in expenditure?
    http://www.tiem.utk.edu/bioed/bealsmodules/optimal.html
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimal_foraging_theory

    You are in good company in that most people make the incorrect assumption that plant material provides the best return for unit of expenditure:
    http://www.thepaleodiet.com/articles/AJCN%20PDF.pd

    But before we get to that you need to consider the general energy cost of the organism and then look at what foods can fill that energy cost:
    http://www.thepaleodiet.com/articles/Int%20J%20Sport%20Article.pd

    What we find is 60-70% of cals come from animal products. It is thermodynamically impossible to fuel these activity levels with available plant foods. The bummer about all this is that I put all this effort into building the case, you will likely shrug, say “I don’t buy it.” without even reading the references…and so it goes. It feels like a conversation with these folks:

    http://www.alaska.net/~clund/e_djublonskopf/Flatearthsociety.htm

    conversation goes like this:
    Me-the earth is round.
    Flat earther-No it’s not.
    Me here is proof.
    Flat Earther-No it’s not…

    Ah well, hopefully it benefits someone!

    Soon to be ex-
    I highly recommend Amy Kubal, an outstanding RD:
    http://fuelasrx.blogspot.com/

    If you’d like me to be cc’d on her correspondence with you I’d be glad to.

    Amanda-
    There is a whole world of veggies, fruit, nuts seeds, meats, seafoods… just have to tinker.

    Amanda- Regarding infertility-
    I have a couple hundred testimonials about folks who have run the full gamut of fertility medicine only to get pregnant when doing paleo. good for you.
    http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art1507.asp

    Daniel-
    This all boils down to do you want to survive or thrive? Can you survive on fruit? Maybe, give it a shot. How do you look, feel and perform? Do paleo, same experiment. The irony here however is your reference completely missed the boat. They are claiming no protein need while saying you get…enzymes(proteins) from fruit! How about the biochemical reality of no essential carbohydrates:
    http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2009/5/18/there-are-no-essential-carbohydrates-even-for-athletes.html

    Reply

  • Chris — September 21st, 2010, 5:27 pm

    Robbe: I would love to meet the family of the two woman that reversed the early onset of Huntington’s. Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a genetic neurological disorder. When a child is conceived in the womb, they have a 50/50 chance of getting the specific DNA coding from the parent that has HD. I was lucky, I didn’t get it. My father and his 3 brothers were not so lucky. Only 1 brother is alive today.

    I thought this was a great article and I am going to try to go gluten free, but perhaps you should understand what HD is 1st before including it here. Now, if you truly believe you have something here, then please, contact the HDSA (HD society of America) and tell them about it. There are a lot of suffering families that need help right now.

    Reply

  • Cameron Day — September 21st, 2010, 5:27 pm

    Since I am a HUGE Quinoa lover, reading about the saponin problems put me through the 5 stages of grief in about 3 minutes.

    I may still be in denial.

    Seriously, isn’t there a way to make Quinoa “safe” by soaking it for at least 12 hours and rinsing it thoroughly? That’s what I do with mine, and I eat about 3 cooked cups of Quinoa per day. (What my poor villi must be going through if this saponin info is correct…)

    Quinoa has been a great muscle-building carb source in my diet, and I also do the same with a 1/4 cup of whole oat groats. Soak, rinse and blend in my vitamix every morning.

    I do a lot of dietary experimentation, so I will try removing Quinoa and getting those carbs from potatoes and sweet potatoes for a couple of months, keeping track of any improvements in energy levels and strength in the gym.

    Thanks for an eye-opening post, even if it’s a real pisser… (slipping back from denial into anger…) :-)

    Reply

  • hello friend — September 21st, 2010, 6:26 pm

    I was under the impression that you knew Nassim Taleb? He’d explain to you why this handful of studies(all of which you can find being contradicted quite easily by other studies) are worse than worthless, and why using personal anecdotes is the same as throwing your argument off a cliff.

    Anyway, to anyone reading the above post, if you wanted actual evidence then what you’d want to look for is a meta-analysis with a couple hundred studies, that’s the minimum of what you can call evidence when talking about epidemiological studies. Anything less and you’ll most likely end up fooled by randomness, if you will. Needless to say, this evidence does not exist, or it would have been posted instead of vague references to minor studies with minor results.

    And yes, our ancestors 10k years ago did not eat much grain, but we’re nothing like(most of) our ancestors and we have, in fact, evolved to be able to digest gluten/lactose that would have made most of them quite sick.

    Reply

  • Robb Wolf — September 21st, 2010, 6:38 pm

    Tim! Tell me that last post did not get lost!

    Folks who are concerned with eating too much animal protein could likely get by on about .5g protein/lb BW and then just eat the heck out of good fats (coconut at the top of my list…don’t let the saturated fat monster scare you) and starchier roots, tubers and squash. Round out with fruit and other fats, you will be fine. I think an endurance athlete could do well on this, a power athlete might struggle, and a bodybuilder…Well, I’d stay out of the speedos.

    Quinoa-
    Rinse the heck out of it, that will decrease saponins. It does still contain protein fractions that can react with celiac…again, I just recommend experimentation and go from there:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10646556

    If it’s not a problem, no worries. For many though it’s not a benign food. BTW-I love quinoa, rice, lentils and beans, I eat a little most weeks, I just keep consumption below a point where I get problems.

    Reply

  • Kevin Teague — September 21st, 2010, 6:41 pm

    @Cameron Day

    They bred a low saponin strain of quinoa, but the birds ate it all before they could harvest. Normally quinoa has a high enough saponin content to keep the birds away. Washing/soaking quinoa is going to reduce the saponin content, but I’m not sure what the levels are at after that, I’d be interesting to see some hard numbers.

    Tubers are great, there are so many varieties of sweet potatoes and yams out there to try. However, if trying a saponin-free diet, you need to avoid potatoes, as they contain saponins. The majority of the saponins in potatoes are in the skins, so if you do eat them, peel them. Loren Cordain recently published some numbers on saponin content in potatoes in his newsletter.

    Reply

  • Johnny — September 21st, 2010, 7:33 pm

    Tim,

    I am interested in the gallon of whole milk per day plan, but what do you suggest for people who don’t tolerate milk well?

    Reply

  • Tim — September 21st, 2010, 7:37 pm

    In the begining of the article you say you will address corn later, and it is never addressed. Also you mention leaving dairy out of you diet, why? Also if your body does not illicit a response to gluten why go gluten free? Thanks for the article it does bring up some interesting points.

    Reply

  • Tim — September 21st, 2010, 7:39 pm

    Also what about beans can you elaborate more on that.
    Thanks.

    Reply

  • Dima — September 21st, 2010, 8:06 pm

    Great post, thanks. I wish the statements were backed up with more scientific evidence. Are there any serious studies on the subject?

    Animal protein can harm too. Nowadays, meat and chicken are so full of pesticides they get from soil and grains. Saltwater fish is polluted with mercury and other heavy metals. This pretty much leaves freshwater fish like trout, tench and tilapia. But, still, one has to make sure they come from clean water.

    Not many people now that avocado has 30% content of easily digestible protein. Love it. Try mixing banana and avocado. Yummy.

    I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and every time I cross the line, it lets me know immediately. And crossing the line for me is coffee, alcohol, soft drinks and anything with gluten.

    Reply

  • Finn — September 21st, 2010, 8:11 pm

    Saturated fat is better than carbohydrates, but not better than unsaturated fat. If the only way you can replace your morning toast is with saturated fat, go for it. If you want to be really healthy, replace it with unsaturated.

    Reply

  • bmack — September 21st, 2010, 8:16 pm

    i <3 robb wolf.

    i'd also like to point out that beans are a third world protein.

    the good fight will continue, as those who refuse to actually measure current information against current folk lore will remain "invincibly ignorant" (sorry about that robby. its the truth though).

    Reply

  • Bret Royster — September 21st, 2010, 9:14 pm

    Much appreciation for this post. I’ve been avoiding grains simply as an effort to lose weight, but reading this post was like watching the very graphic STD video in health class – I’m scared to death!

    Seriously though, I’ve had a couple of pretty severe reactions to brown rice in the past. Even though I recognized it was probably not good for me, I would still eat it every once in a while. Its like I needed the full picture before I would really believe it wasn’t good for me.

    And of course I read it on Tim’s blog… go figure.

    Thanks man. Keep up the good work.

    - Bret

    Reply

  • singingwater — September 21st, 2010, 9:53 pm

    I have been doing a version of this, intuitively, for about 6 months and have never felt better. As an experiment ate. a “healthy muffin” from my local health food store, came home and fell asleep for 3 hours. It was like being drugged. Very interesting.
    My choice is to eat ground bison meat. I live in the west and so it is easy to get. Also start my day with fresh ripe fruit and about 5 teaspoons of plain yogurt. Have an omelet about twice a week.Use nuts through out the day. Occasionally some pieces of parmesan cheese. Also use a supplement of Wachter’s Liquid Chlorophyll in water- made from 3 different types of seaweed.
    Very refreshing and great blood purifier and nourisher for the intestines.

    Do not have any desire for chocolate or sugars. If i do want something sweet, I might have a touch of maple syrup as a condiment. I also think the use of Sea Salt is very important. Americans are so afraid of salt. Can’t wait to read Rob’s book.

    Reply

  • Steve S — September 21st, 2010, 10:36 pm

    Ive been eating a “gluten free” & “wheat free” rice bread from “Food for Life”. I typically use this after my workouts as my carb source and occasionally with my eggs during breakfast.

    Anything wrong with this? Since its wheat and gluten free I figured it was a good choice

    Reply

  • craig — September 21st, 2010, 11:22 pm

    Hi, I’m Craig, and I’m addicted to Nacho flavored Dorito’s.

    There. I said it.

    good stuff!

    Reply

  • Linda — September 21st, 2010, 11:23 pm

    Millet is still gluten free.

    Reply

  • Jose — September 21st, 2010, 11:34 pm

    Nice post. I think overall it is best to avoid carbs @ all costs and if you do eat them get them from sweet potatoes.

    Reply

  • Mario — September 21st, 2010, 11:35 pm

    I eat Paleo with the exception of Fibre One cereal, which is grain based, and I feel fantastic. I also eat cottage cheese- which sometimes gives me a headache, but after a day with it, I feel fine. It’s a convenient source of protein. Are Fibre One and cottage cheese bad for you? My body and stools would disagree, but if anyone has theories for me, I’d love to hear them. I have more energy, excitement, and joy in my life than nearly anyone I know. I’m healthy, strong, and athletic.

    In medicine we talk about “Gold standard testing”, and as Robb said with his biopsy talk of type 1 diabetes problem, we should be seeing anti-transglutaminase antibodies in the microvilli. If we don’t see them, are we fine?

    There is a site here- Tim, this type of biological testing is up your ally:

    enterolab.com

    A private lab by a legit gastroenterologist, with legit credentials. The testing they have includes anti-gliadin stool test, anti-tissue transglutaminase stool test, intestinal malabsorption test, gluten sensitivity gene test, milk, egg, yeast and soy sensitivity stool tests. I’m thinking about getting this done with all the gluten and milk debate. Tim, let me/ us know if you’ve looked into this kind of testing, and if it was worthwhile for you.

    I’m going to talk to my friendly neighbourhood MD/PhD supremely well published gastroenterologist, and will report back with my findings :) .

    BTW I thought Robb’s comments to Leigh were rude. Tim, moderate that!

    :)

    Mario

    Reply

  • Ashley Westman — September 21st, 2010, 11:38 pm

    Robb, I have a tough one for you: what say you to the gluten- and dairy-intolerant microscopic colitis crowd (different from ulcerative colitis) who can’t yet tolerate raw fruits and veggies and whose guts can’t yet absorb a lot of fat…? But who are underweight and need to put on the pounds?

    I’ve been on this paleo thing for a month and feel okay, but I’m hungry a LOT even though I feel like I eat a ton (meat, fish, eggs, well-cooked veggies, and bananas). I’m trying to gain weight (in general, and build muscle ala Mark Sisson’s Primal Blueprint) but can’t seem to get past the 105 – 107 lb. range (I’m a 5’6″ female, naturally slim). It’s tough to get a lot of calories, especially when I can’t eat really fatty things (avocados, nuts or nut butters, etc.) or raw fruits or veggies. Any suggestions? Thanks!

    Reply

  • Bubba Sanchez — September 21st, 2010, 11:50 pm

    Heroin. No “e.”

    Reply

  • John Paul Daley II — September 21st, 2010, 11:58 pm

    Few things: One please get the book into audio form. I listen to books from Audible.com including Tim’s four hour work week. Being an audible learner, I really retain it best when heard. Also, if you have some graphs or other reference material, please allow it for download on audible. So many Author’s miss this. It is very hard to bookmark each great idea in a book.It is wonderful to be able to go back and reference it. I will buy the book too, but not have to much time to sit there and read it.

    Recenlty, I started drinking Raw whole milk from organicgrass fed only cows and eggs from organic free range chickens, with local raw honey(unfiltered) to replace my protien shakes. I got pretty chubby pretty quick. I started skimming the milk, and while the shakes are great and I feel full and have had lots of benefits, I am still struggling with how milk plays into all this.
    I am 6 ft and about 225. I am extremely active and need healthy calories through out the day. Shakes are an easy way for me to carry food with me. I saw others ask about whey and other supplements, and I have seen no response. If I missed It I am sorry. My diet consists of mostly meat, bison, grass fed beef, and chicken or turkey. I love wild salmon and I eat alot of greens, every once in a while I drink a coke, but other than that, it would seem that I follow this diet, with the exception of the “milk” and possible the whey. Please let me know if it is in the book, if so when you get the audio version I will learn then. If not, are my shakes compliant and what is the main concern with milk/cheese/dairy especially yougurt and supplements like whey?
    Also, I have been learning alot about Bison from the Owners of Sayersbrook Bison Ranch. The guy is in his 80 and eats what I would call a paleo diet (sans red wine of course) but he has told me about some fairly significant differences in the quality of meat, and most specifically Bison. I try hard to eat healthy meats, what are your criteria for sourcing buying meats? Skip’s is, if I didn’t grow it, I don’t eat it. Which is good for him, being fairly wealthy and all. He did build his own bison ranch… But what about the rest of us. I live in the Mid-west and spend about 400.00 per month on food for just me. I am frugal and shop for the best quality at the best price, but it seems this would come at a cost too?

    Do you have a nationwide list of food source providers that meet your criteria? Do you have any bulk pricing etc? I feel alot of us are searching for honest food providers that want to earn a living providing the best, maybe we can put a co-op together over the web to create one if it does not already exist.

    Lastly, I starting eating the raw local organic unfiltered honey. I can’t imagine this could have a negative effects, but since I am new to this and learning, I am asking.
    Thank you very much for all your help. Thank you Tim for sharing this work with me. I would have never seen it otherwise. Rob, I greatly appreciate all the work you are doing. Little by little guys like you can help educate the world and create a more sustainable healthy food chain.

    Thanks Again,
    John Paul Daley II

    Reply

  • Erich Krauss — September 22nd, 2010, 12:27 am

    Tim,

    The bit about corn was left out because the article above was just a part of one chapter from Robb’s book. Corn and beans are addressed in later chapters.

    Reply

  • Cameron Benz — September 22nd, 2010, 2:33 am

    @ Ben or Ciroc (grape derived)

    @ Steven Don’t think anyone 20 years ago was gluten free? Guess again. My grandfather was gluten intolerant and had to completely cut gluten from his diet. My grandmother came up with a wonderful pie crust because of that.

    @ Tim Hey, I noticed what you’d said in the article about soaking the beans and that helping to counter some of issues. I think the confusion for some of your readers comes from the less than clear phrasing. In other words, put it in layman’s terms Tim. Great topic though.

    Reply

  • Kevin — September 22nd, 2010, 2:46 am

    I wonder: if you was to live gluten free, don’t eat pasta, rice etc., how the hell do you go to friends or families for dinner parties? It would have a huge impact of your social life which, in my opinion, just isn’t worth it. I don’t have any serious problems (that I am aware of) with the foods discussed in this post, but if I were to cut them out in order to try live a healthier lifestyle it would seriously effect my ability to enjoy social settings that involve eating delicious food. I’m curious how Tim et al handle this issue?

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 22nd, 2010, 3:45 pm

      Hi Kevin,

      I do cheat on occasion, but I try and schedule these types of dinners for my Saturday, which is the “off” day anyhow. Otherwise, I just let them know beforehand that I can’t eat grains or starch. So far, zero problems. Then again, I live in SF, and everyone is used to “I’m a vegan” or “I’m on Atkins” or “I only eat local organic” or whatever. Still, I haven’t found it socially restricting.

      Good luck!

      Tim

      Reply

  • Tim Rosanelli — September 22nd, 2010, 5:49 am

    Hi Tim,

    I love most of the material in this article. Eating too much grain products can create huge fluctuations in blood sugar levels that adversely effect your health level.

    I do disagree with his method of proving the adverse effects of gluten by taking 30 days off then eating some bread. Of course, you will feel terrible because after 30 days, your body ceases to produce enzymes used in the process of breaking down the grain and you get very sick. The thing is that the same thing would happen if I went on an Atkins diet of no carbs for 30 days and ate an apple. Or… I became a vegan for 30 days and ate beef. Which means that I could use his same test in a different way and come to a totally different conclusion.

    We, Americans, definitely have a eating crisis, but I think we need to severely reduce the amount of carbs in our diets. Moderation and Variation is the key to a proper diet.

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 22nd, 2010, 3:52 pm

      Good observation on the enzymes, Tim. This is, to my knowledge, true. Feeding a vegan who isn’t producing enough elastin a steak would have a similar effect. I do think shorter-term experiments can be useful, if done before enzyme down-reg, and the removal itself (not reintroduction) can also be helpful by itself.

      Best,

      Tim

      Reply

  • Miki — September 22nd, 2010, 6:47 am

    Thanks Tim and Robb for your replies.

    I was wondering how this diet would work with pregnant women and young children (3 y.o and 1 y.o). Is it recommended for them to follow this diet? If so, what kind of adjustments can be made?

    Cheers,
    Miki.

    Reply

  • Shane Duquette — September 22nd, 2010, 7:26 am

    Great post Tim. Makes sense to me. I noticed that I felt . . . “fresher” when I was on a cutting diet and removed grains/legumes/dairy and was eating mainly vegetables, fish, chicken, nuts and EFAs. I was curious as to why that was. This might be the answer.

    I’m back to bulking again and consuming massive amounts of skim milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, whey protein, and legumes (as well as lean meat, vegetables, nuts and EFAs). My staple meal is an extra lean ground turkey chili with legumes and peas. Udo’s choice DHA CLA oil added in to each serving after it’s cooked.

    I have the same question as a couple other people. How do you do this while bulking? Is it necessary to cut milk and legumes in order to see at least some of the benefits? Is yogurt that is low in lactose better?

    Most importantly: do whey and casein count as harmful dairy?

    My best,
    Shane

    Reply

  • Joel — September 22nd, 2010, 7:31 am

    I have mixed feelings about the information here… basically, you lost me when you started to “knock” Oatmeal and Quinoa.

    I see sugar as the real problem. When I go without sugar for sometime that has the single most positive improvement on my well-being. I also can’t argue against the rich, hearty, happy feeling I get from my bowl of Steel-cut oatmeal in the morning.

    As far as gluten, yes, I would agree that it can be bad if there is too much of it in the diet. But the same rings true for many things– moderation is key.

    Food as we knew it 25 years ago has all but ceased to exist. I would argue that our best defense is to evolve and adapt–mind, body, and soul! Eat a reasonable and varied diet, get exercise, take in fresh air and sunshine every one in a while, find a very strong loyal support network, and enjoy a happy life!

    PS: and take resveratrol (one without the Emodin content, or other “filler”).

    Reply

  • LG — September 22nd, 2010, 7:41 am

    Tim, you’re brilliant. And you have a lot of brilliant people commenting here.

    The thing about being educated is – the more we know, the more we know we don’t know. You know?

    I’m wary of this post because it’s really extreme, and I veer away from extremism, especially when it comes to diet and exercise. I used to be an extremist (and followed many an extreme diet plan) until I went to school for nutrition, exercise physiology and metabolism and learned how the body digests and processes food. Surrounded by professors that had a combined experience of over 100 years in studying this stuff, I felt I got a pretty good idea about how things work. I learned how to look for research-based evidence, and became much more moderate after becoming more educated. The body is an amazing thing and it can do SO much more than we could ever imagine.

    Extremism never works long term, and it ends up being overtaken by the next extreme idea. Remember the steak and egg roller coaster? Parents of the baby boomers that could afford it were feeding their children eggs and meat every day for breakfast because they were told it was the healthiest thing they could do for their children’s growth. When these boomers grew up and they and their parents started to get hardening of the arteries, the egg was laid to blame, and everyone felt bad and duped. Now, the egg is harmless again, it doesn’t cause high cholesterol and we found there are natural emulsifiers in the egg itself. What a swing from left to right and back! This happens with many foods, and many diet fads.

    How do we not get swept up in these things? Everything in moderation. If we’re moderate, we don’t have to worry about being poisoned by this or that, we get to have a little of what we like, and we don’t ride the roller coaster of fear and blame that extreme plans create.

    If people could just start to be moderate – and not eat crazy amounts of certain foods simply because they can – so many people would find themselves healthier. And, eating as many foods in their natural state as possible – not processed, and not adulterated with added unhealthy crap that restaurants like to add- one wouldn’t believe how good the body can feel! I know :)

    Of course, there are those that have true problems digesting certain foods. But it’s not the same for everyone.

    The Paleo diet has been around for a while. A long list of Pro’s and Con’s and arguments similar to the ones found on this page can be found on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleo_diet

    Tim, I’ve recommended the 4-hr work week to many clients and friends. I think you’re brilliant in the business and marketing world… Ya know!

    Reply

  • A.E — September 22nd, 2010, 8:01 am

    Hi, I find these things very interresting, but it also makes me worried.
    I am a vegan myself, so therefore I practically live on lentils, soybeans, and fruits & veggies. But I do eat stuff like bread and pasta.
    What worries me is the pieace about the legumes you wrote, since I would find it impossible to ever eat meat again.
    Are the lentils and the beans really that horrible to my body?
    I don’t know what else to eat.
    But at least I keep away from the dairies.
    Love my soymilk!

    Reply

  • Robb Wolf — September 22nd, 2010, 8:27 am

    Mario-
    Good stuff.

    BMACK!! Thank man. I miss hanging out, I hope all is well with you.

    Regarding Quinoa-
    I think folks are skimming the excerpt and not getting that grains and grain like substances use these anti-nutrients to prevent critters like birds (and us) from eating them. Kameron mentioned a low saponin quinoa that did not make it to market because the birds ate it! Here is a fun one: Quinoa saponins are used as a pesticide, right form the FDA:
    http://www.epa.gov/oppbppd1/biopesticides/ingredients/tech…/brad_097094.pdf

    Bon Appetite!

    CHRIS-
    UCLA and UCSD are setting up trials on Huntington’s disease and a gluten free diet. I am fully aware of the DNA base-pair repeat nature of this disease. What no one understands yet is the precipitating event for disease propagation appears to be environmental, and likely from grains.

    BTW- The HD society has been notified of this. About 2 years ago. You can wait for the governmental agencies to explore this of you can simply try it and see how disease state is affected.

    Reply

  • Dustin — September 22nd, 2010, 8:34 am

    Please address the Chinese diet because it seems like a big hole in your work. Though I’ve learned much from your article, I can’t give it my full attention unless the obvious is addressed.

    China alone has survived on rice for hundreds of years. It saved their country’s population from starving. Their food language is based on rice (wu fan = lunch rice, wan fan = dinner rice, etc…)

    I can’t say Chinese are healthier and live long but it is general perception. Westerners are an easy target for this article because we eat an incredible amount of refined grains. I myself love not eating them. They make me sleepy.

    (btw: the comment by a previous poster on India’s older generation getting big bellies has nothing to do with grain–strong bet. It’s called curry. They eat a lot of it and it can be extremely fattening.)

    Reply

  • David L. — September 22nd, 2010, 8:50 am

    Hey, all people here who’ve researched food and stuff, has someone been able to discover a link between certain foods and acne?

    In literature there seems to be a link with dairy products and a high-glycemic index diet.

    Or the effect of dairy is a very slow one or it is only an aggravating factor (i’m diary-free for 6 months and still have acne though it seems to diminish).
    I’m very interested in your responses.

    David L.

    Reply

  • Chris Ashenden — September 22nd, 2010, 9:00 am

    Whooop!

    How I love to see someone else eat the way I eat, for the same reasons, but do so much better a job of explaining why. A lot of mates and family members have been forwarded this info. Assuming your skin is intact (ie you are not a major burn victim) gut health and your ability to absorb nutrients is next on the list of importance for good immunity. I learned the hard way.

    Robb, outstandingly well presented info mate. Thank you! Generally I eat nearly identical to the way Tim does, but the beans/legumes is one area where we differ (though I should add he has made it work very well for him).

    What are your thoughts on pulling out ALL common food allergens (grains/dairy/eggs/corn/soy) for the 30 days and then adding them back in slowly to tolerance? (Leaving the grains out permanently however)? Obviously you eat eggs, how pro are you on wild corn? Put dairy back in if tolerated or bin it? Or should I just shut up and read the book?

    btw I recommend you connect with registered nutritionist and strength coach Cliff Harvey, who beat Crohn’s through diet and went on to achieve a few world records for feats of strength, he has also helped some pretty elite athletes move past GI and immune issues through diet. More happy real world evidence for you, I think you two will get on.

    And it amazes me that on a blog dedicated to experiments in life style design, that so many people are fighting tooth and nail to protect their current eating paradigm, instead of just EXPERIMENTING with it for a month.

    Kudos to your patience Robb and for being so generous in your responses.

    Tim, thanks for putting this through in a blog post. Can’t wait for that new book! Please let us know when we can pre order.

    C

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 22nd, 2010, 3:40 pm

      Thx, Christoph. Just to emphasize a good point you make:

      “And it amazes me that on a blog dedicated to experiments in life style design, that so many people are fighting tooth and nail to protect their current eating paradigm, instead of just EXPERIMENTING with it for a month.”

      Reply

  • Alex — September 22nd, 2010, 9:21 am

    One thing I haven’t seen on here re: comments about veganism. Veganism isn’t just a dietary issue; it’s also a moral and ethical platform. For ethical vegans, it’s not a question of just eating an animal once in a while…you’re essentially asking us to violate some of our most deeply held beliefs. It’s akin to asking an Atheist to take communion at Christmas.

    That said, there are gluten-free vegans. And that is a far better way to approach vegans than to ask them to consume animals.

    Reply

  • Sean Carson — September 22nd, 2010, 9:56 am

    This is a brilliant piece. I’ve been exploring the CKD and paleo diet over the last few months and feel much better. I’ve had longtime digestive problems and find that dairy, gluten grains, and legumes are really hard on me. That said, as an endurance athlete who cycles over 200 miles a week, I’ve been struggling in the anaerobic threshold (and above) zone, no doubt due to issues with glycogen levels.

    Since I’m a bit of a purist, I’d rather not do this, but I have been contemplating having two meals a week where I just big-time carb load on white rice, since this has the least allergic tendency of any of the grains, as far as I know, just so I could pack in some serious glycogen.

    Not sure how else to deal with this issue, and would love any good ideas! Other than that, this blog is spot on and the paleo diet really makes sense given that so many people have significantly compromised digestive terrains and immune systems these days due to anti-biotic use, long-term poor diets, etc, etc.

    Reply

  • Sean Carson — September 22nd, 2010, 10:12 am

    Since many people have brought up the virtues of different diets (Mediterranean, etc) in regard to this blog, it might be wise to contemplate the fact that it is not so much the foods, in themselves that are bad for us, but the fact that humans, in their current state of de-evolution, can no longer handle eating them: what was once nourishing, is now a poison.

    Grains, legumes, and dairy, have, for thousands of years been utilized as foods by the majority of people on this planet. Note that traditionally, these foods were almost always processed in some way (fermentation, sprouting, etc) to reduce their anti-nutrient load and increase digestability. Japanese painstakingly fermented soybeans for years to make miso, not because they had a lot of time on their hands, but because they recognized that soybeans were toxic unless they prepared them that way. Tofu was monkfood because it was recognized that the phytoestrogens killed the sex drive. Soy was never meant to be consumed as it is now. Likewise, grains were always naturally leavened and soured. So was milk.

    Since the rise of antibiotic use last century, we have been conducting an unprecedented experiment on ourselves: we have taken an intact gut ecosystem and immune system and essentially subjected it to something akin to clear cutting a forest. It is at this point that “leaky gut” syndrome and all the other problems begin. And once they begin, it becomes a vicious cycle that is almost impossible to rectify, hence they need for some many of us to revert to paleo-styled diets. Mothers, with compromised immunity and gut flora, pass this imbalanced flora onto their babies (many whom are bottle fed), also given antibiotics over and over as children, and the cycle continues, worse with each generation, hence the rise of autism and so many other rapidly emerging disorders.

    The problem is not the food, it is the digestive terrain of most modern humans; a terrain that is so compromised that foods that were formally at least neutral, if not healthful, are now the sources of auto-immunity, dysbiosis, etc, etc. It’s great to find a diet you can eat (paleo, etc), but better to see the bigger picture…

    Reply

  • Joyce Abraham — September 22nd, 2010, 10:24 am

    Undiagnosed celiac disease could certainly be a factor in many conditions. Whenever I see a man with osteoporosis, it’s the first thing that comes to mind.

    I have been on a gluten free diet for 7 years because of celiac disease. Millet is gluten free – one of my favorite (occasional) gluten free treats is a millet/teff wrap that is certified gluten free.

    Thanks for spreading the word on the gluten free diet.

    Reply

  • Shawn — September 22nd, 2010, 10:39 am

    Bob Limbach,

    I believe my leaky gut syndrome was caused by Quinoa saponins. I was eating the stuff religiously. Basing every meal off it (breakfast too!). And guess what? I never washed it. Today I sent an e-mail to the manufacturer to ask if they pre-rinse it…I have a feeling I know the answer….

    Anyway, I urge anyone who likes Quinoa to PLEASE PLEASE rinse it. It takes no time compared to the amount of time I waste in the bathroom these days. It is ridiculous. Not to mention how crappy I feel. I am trying to recover using L-glutamine but the results have been questionable.

    And if you’re wondering, I have already been to the doctor. They ran blood tests, and a stool sample to rule out a number of things. The next step is a Colonoscopy, which I’m gonna wait on for now.

    //Shawn

    Reply

  • Shawn — September 22nd, 2010, 10:42 am

    Bob Limbach,

    This is part of what I based my conclusion on :

    http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsfa.2740630206/abstract

    Reply

  • AC — September 22nd, 2010, 10:42 am

    Where can we get a good list of foods we can and cannot eat?

    David

    Reply

  • Juan Tello — September 22nd, 2010, 10:49 am

    Hi Tim. Great post. Timely for me too. I just wanted to share my frustration with doctors here, hoping for a break. Suicidal thoughts have subsided, but my gut seems irreparable still.

    I’m 30 and have been suffering from a host of intestinal issues for about 4 months, beginning with a hospitalization following an intense episode of constipation with accute intestinal pain. Divierticuli and irritated colon found. This episode followed a binge session of Brazilian picanha meat (6 slices), which I obviously couldn’t digest.

    Following my release from the hospital, the doctor restricted my diet, initially to mostly soups, bread, jam, papaya, chicken, among others. No milk, no fiber, no coffee, no alcohol. Constipation remained an issue and the pain persisted.

    This substandard nutrition and the social implications of not eating almost anything and not drinking drove me to unhealthy levels of anti-social behavior, and of course, depression.

    Not to overwhelm you with details, four moths on, I have recovered some of my physical strength by eating soy protein, but my gut is messed up still.

    I’m a big fan of all you do, (bought the 4hww in print, audio and kindle versions!) and will certainly do the same with your next book.

    I saw 4 doctors in all, and the problem is still there. If you have any thoughts on the matter please let me know. I will be forever grateful.

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 22nd, 2010, 3:37 pm

      Hi Juan,

      I’m no doctor, but Robb may have some thoughts here. I’d suggest speaking with your doctor about using L-Glutamine to help repair things (if it’s a leaky-gut-related issue). Consuming 10g at a time up to 5 times a day is not unheard of. BUT, speak with your doc first. I’m not an MD. In addition, I would find a different source of protein if you can handle it (whey would be better), as soy can mess you up at even moderate doses.

      Good luck,

      Tim

      Reply

  • Ben Shive — September 22nd, 2010, 12:13 pm

    Tim, you mention a few times the need for blood tests but don’t explain what tests or what information someone should be looking for from the tests.

    The other thing that’s not clear here is how this differs from atkins?

    PS: Most of the saponin content in the outer shell quinoa is removed on washing. Otherwise it’s bitter.

    Reply

  • Sean Carson — September 22nd, 2010, 12:30 pm

    @Robb Wolf -

    As for how many meals a day is best for anabolic gain, indeed the 4-6 modern ideal is way off in terms of how people ate historically. We think about calories, about “protein grams” but we ignore the influence of diet – both what we eat and WHEN WE EAT on hormones.

    I’m a big fan of Ori Hofmekler and The Warrior Diet, who proposes just one very big meal a day in the evening. This is kind of like the CKD in one day. One fasts during the day (or eats one or two very small, low glycemic meals) which turns on cAMP via fasting, and its anabolic benefits; in the evening, with one very large meal, one can replace low glycogen, and keep metabolism high by eating a large amount of calories – undereating all the time will lower thyroid and metabolism.

    It’s fascinating, and I find that eating “paleo-warrior” style, which is mainly fasting during the day, feasting at night, and once or twice a week having a big carb binge, is working pretty good for me

    Reply

  • Drew — September 22nd, 2010, 12:37 pm

    You know, I heard that gluten was also responsible for the current economic situation.

    Tim, I love your blog and your books.

    Reply

  • James W — September 22nd, 2010, 1:02 pm

    Do you know if “digestive enzyme” supplements help or eliminate these problems at all?

    Reply

  • dustin — September 22nd, 2010, 1:18 pm

    tim you always have the most interesting people guest post on your blog

    Reply

  • dustin — September 22nd, 2010, 1:19 pm

    great post again

    Reply

  • Dennis — September 22nd, 2010, 1:21 pm

    Re: fire…it’s pretty uncontroversial that domesticated fire goes back at least 100,000 years. More recently some people have been saying it could go back as far as a million, and played a major part in human evolution.

    Meanwhile we learned to digest milk in 10,000 years, so even the shorter estimate for fire is a fair amount of time to adapt to cooked foods.

    A typical hunter-gatherer would still eat a healthy portion of food raw, though, just because it’s so much more convenient when you’re wandering around in the woods and don’t have matches. Snacks growing everywhere, the original fast food.

    Reply

  • Armin — September 22nd, 2010, 1:28 pm

    Great post. I’m gluten intolerant myself and found out only about 1 year ago. Changed my diet and feel fine ever since (more energy, sick much, much less often…)
    It is interesting to learn, that I’m not the weird one out, but that it’s rather the ‘aggressive’ grains that should be avoided, I just have seemed to notice more strongly. I guess good for me that my doctor found out and put me on a gluten-free diet.
    It’s actually easier than you think to follow-up.

    However, I must say, that your one-week meal plan sounds a bit like an Atikins-diet – lots of meat….

    Reply

  • Jonathon Langston — September 22nd, 2010, 2:01 pm

    I think this kind of diet is necessary for people who are having problems and they are looking for answers.

    Life is about enjoyment. Live, love, and learn and you’ll be happy. Now, bad health can wreak havoc with this ideal. If your health is holding you back from living life to the fullest, then by all means search for answers. Maybe gluten-free is the answer for you.

    I am a healthy 40-something man, who could stand to lose 20 pounds to be at the ideal weight. I enjoy life. Pizza and beer with my buddies. Or a nice veal parmigiana with penne pasta, some Italian bread with olive oil and grated cheese, some steamed green beans, topped off with a good red wine and some dessert. Plenty of stories and laughs all evening. This is a form of paradise one can easily have over and over (just not every day).

    Some of my friends run marathons and Iron Man races. They have no problem with all the pasta and other wheat products. They eat with gusto and are not afraid of holding their own at the bar. I love playing sports and riding my bike.

    Why would my friends and I give up the foods we love if we are healthy, happy and fulfilled? The cost of denying ourselves this blissful happiness is not worth the sacrifice of feeling like we’re denying ourselves some of the finer things in life.

    If gluten-free has miraculous effects for some people, that is awesome. But let’s not paint everyone with the same brush.

    Reply

  • Kellye Parish — September 22nd, 2010, 2:06 pm

    Tim –

    Just to clarify, it is controversial in the field of zoology whether the predatory habits of chimpanzees are nutritionally based. For those who are interested, chimpanzees are the only animals besides humans and wolves who commit genocide/warfare against their own kind, and will happily kill columbus monkeys without eating them, in the same way that lions will kill young/weak/injured hyenas, leopards, and cheetahs without eating them. The killing behaviors of chimps are not necessarily based on food procurement, so they don’t make a very good argument for the “we are evolved to eat this way” position; it is highly possible that their hunting binges are cultural “ethnic cleansings” if you will, rather than nutritional necessities. In other words, chimpanzees are just emulating the most disturbing of human impulses when they massacre columbus monkeys – they are destroying weaker creatures for no real reason, other than their desire to kill. The eating of the bodies is seen by some zoologists/primatologists as a sign of animal ritual practices.

    In short: The killing of columbus monkeys and other smaller, weaker primates by chimpanzees is most likely competition for territory and food (again, such as exists between lions and other large African predators) or, taking the chimpanzee’s intelligence into account, as a violent communal sacrifice/display.

    From the same study you quoted earlier:

    “In his study of Gombe chimpanzee predatory behavior in the 1960′s, Geza Teleki considered hunting to have a strong social basis (Teleki 1973). Some early researchers had said that hunting by chimpanzees might be a form of social display, in which a male chimp tries to show his prowess to other members of the community (Kortlandt 1972). In the 1970′s, Richard Wrangham conducted the first systematic study of chimpanzee behavioral ecology at Gombe and concluded that predation by chimps was nutritionally based, but that some aspects of the behavior were not well explained by nutritional needs alone (Wrangham 1975). Toshisada Nishida and his colleagues in the Mahale Mountains chimpanzee research project reported that the alpha there, Ntilogi, used captured meat as a political tool to withhold from rivals and dole out to allies (Nishida et al. 1991).”

    Here’s further information about chimpanzee violence:

    “The adult males of a social group, which usually number about 30 to 50 in size, daily patrol the edge of their group’s territory. They will often kill any male or young chimpanzees they find, sometimes eating or physically brutalizing their victims in a manner that some researchers liken to torture. In some instances, one group will “invade” and annex the territory of another, killing all but the adult females, who are forced to incorporate into the dominant group.”

    Not exactly a species we should try to emulate, poop-chucking aside.

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 22nd, 2010, 3:31 pm

      Hi Kellye,

      Thanks for the comment. Just to be clear, I was just pointing out that chimps kill other animals and do eat meat, but I wasn’t using it for the human “we evolved this way” argument, though I do believe our GI tracts are well-designed for it.

      Best,

      Tim

      Reply

  • Stephen Martin — September 22nd, 2010, 3:14 pm

    Tim,

    Great post. Aside from that, though, I am always intrigued how you bring in these interesting posts that drive traffic, comments, and most importantly, conversation. Enjoyed it. Thanks.

    -Stephen Martin

    Reply

  • sanshumor — September 22nd, 2010, 3:27 pm

    can you eat potatoes on this diet?

    Reply

  • ConcreteMatt — September 22nd, 2010, 3:37 pm

    I’ll try it for a month, what do I have to lose except weight and feces in my blood stream.

    The worst case scenario is I miss eating gluten for one month, I see no health changes and I go back to eat regularly after that month. The best case scenario is I lose weight and feel good and make a permanent change to my diet. I don’t really see how anyone can lose in this situation, why are so many getting bent out of shape?

    Reply

  • Bob — September 22nd, 2010, 3:43 pm

    Hey Tim:

    I was super excited about this post, ready to stop eating grains, and buy this guy’s book. A good friend (who is a biologist) looked over the article for me to let me know if grains were really “fighting back”. Basically he let me know that there are a lot of holes in this argument and some things are flat out wrong. Basically it sounds like this guy knows a lot more about this stuff than the average person and is trying to sell some books in a tricky way. I can email you the instant messaging conversation that we had if you want to hear exactly what my friend said.

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 22nd, 2010, 3:50 pm

      Hi Bob,

      Thanks for the comment. I’m totally fine with you sharing your biologist friend’s comments publicly. Can you please post them here? If there are holes in the argument, everyone should know.

      Thanks much!

      Tim

      Reply

  • John — September 22nd, 2010, 3:44 pm

    For those trying to heal up a problem gut, you should look at either

    Restoring your Digestive Health by Brasco and/or Gut and Psychology Symdrome by McBride

    I had duodenal ulcers a number of years ago, completely healed them and got off meds with Brasco’s book. Have had at least a dozen friends use the protocol as well – very paleo friendly.

    McBride is similar – used it and Brasco with our kids to clean up some issues and they are doing great. While I don’t 100% agree with the paleo approach, my family basically eats a paleo diet, lots of meat and fat from pastured free range animals, lots of eggs, and vegetables. No grains at all for the wife and kids, I on occasion. Occasional lentils or other items, but mostly meat, fat, and veggies.

    Reply

  • primaleats — September 22nd, 2010, 4:29 pm

    And with that post, Paleo is now officially mainstream.

    Reply

  • Alexey — September 22nd, 2010, 4:43 pm

    Humans are funny creatures. Aren’t we? I think all other animals on earth are equipped with pretty good instincts regarding what they would be eating. But will all of the contradicting data out there, diet proponents and controversy, it appears that don’t have a clue. I wonder if the bears are sitting around in the wood, debating whether they should kill some salmon or find some berries instead, haha.

    Reply

  • Nathan — September 22nd, 2010, 4:53 pm

    I’m thinking that adding whole milk to the above diet is the answer for people who want to make size and strength gains in the gym.

    Reply

  • Cameron Benz — September 22nd, 2010, 5:01 pm

    Tim-

    do black beans fit into your “broad bean” category in your sidebar above?

    @ John Paul Daley II
    my guess, without having read the book, is that milk is a natural inflammatory. If I understand things correctly, it’s because of that, most would recommend against it’s consumption. Remember, cancer starts as inflammation.

    Reply

  • Paul Green MD Phd — September 22nd, 2010, 5:32 pm

    This article contains a good amount of useful, practical information, as well as a considerable amount of misinformation.
    This is truly amazing! We have here two guys who *do not* have any formal medical training… offering medical, health and nutritional advice.

    Excuse me, and you may not agree with the fact that a degree in Biochemistry does not qualify anyone to give medical advice, but this is *reality* You do it at your own risk… MDs referring patients to a biochemist because they “are not able to handle a given situation”? Please, give me a break.

    This reminds me of Larry King, who had coronary bypass surgery, and, of course, he is now an expert cardiologist, offering medical advice to anyone who wants to listen.
    Once again, a “little” information [about anything] is truly dangerous.
    Thank you!
    Paul Green MD PhD

    PS: 1- Ease off on the eggs. They are an identifiable source of high blood cholesterol levels. You ever heard of atherosclerosis, heart attacks, strokes? Eat only the ‘white’ part.
    2- You fail to mention other causes of digestive problems, particularly Chron’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome [IBS] and several others that may be caused by infections agents such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, etc. Or genetic and metabolic defects?
    I guess that mentioning only gluten as a culprit would help to sell more books…

    Reply

  • Denny Chapin — September 22nd, 2010, 5:55 pm

    Hi Tim,

    You mention doing blood work repeatedly in your comments — what specifically are you recommending we test and measure for these blood tests?

    I think it’s a testament to your hard work that such a fruitful and sometimes hilariously rude plethora of comments graces your writing — great work!

    :)

    Cheers,
    -Denny

    Reply

  • Eric — September 22nd, 2010, 6:08 pm

    Tim, I hope your new book stays true to the legacy of 4HWW and gives some decent hacks of how to follow this diet/lifestyle while optimizing for time and convenience. Trying to follow this so far has turned into “4 hour cook-day” for me, with food prep time, washing pans/dishes, more frequent grocery shopping, etc.

    Reply

  • Rocky Harris — September 22nd, 2010, 6:27 pm

    SARDINES

    450 posts and they’re only mentioned once? I guess most people really do find them gross, but they seem near-perfect to me, especially relative to this topic.

    Reply

  • Vikram — September 22nd, 2010, 6:39 pm

    Hmmm…how about maltodextrin? I’m thinking that’s OK since it’s just a straight up complex carb.

    I mix maltodextrin into my whey protein shake after lifting.

    Works great for recovery. If anyone else is ifting heavy and wants a good recovery drink – mix in some glutamine/creatine & maltodextrin with your whey.

    It’s helped a lot.

    Reply

  • Mike Graf — September 22nd, 2010, 6:43 pm

    @Tim/Rob

    How does world hunger factor into this equation? We cant all be eating so much meat and expect there to be enough calories to go around? Skimming the posts I saw that sweet potatoes are ok, so those are starchy. Also do these grains have the same effect on the animals we feed them to? Ie, if I feed the grains to my animals are they suffering the same fate I would have? Are there any animals that have evolved to deal with the grains issues?

    Thanks a tonne for all you give on this blog.
    -Mike

    Reply

  • Cameron Day — September 22nd, 2010, 6:51 pm

    In defense of Quinoa…

    After doing some online research into the saponin issue, it would seem that some of the saponins are removed during the initial cleaning and processing of Quinoa. I soak mine for 12-24 hours and rinse it repeatedly until there are no more soapy bubbles.

    To my mind, this process removes the saponins enough to make Quinoa safe and healthy to eat. Yes, it takes a while to rinse so thoroughly, but I cook large batches that last several days so it’s not a daily hassle.

    I *might* still try using yams as my carb source for a 4-6 week period like I mentioned in yesterday’s post, but I’m going to push that experiment to the one of back burners of my mind for now.

    It’s pretty clear that the author has had good success treating “hard cases” with the paleo diet, and I applaud that. I just personally rely on “clean carbs” to fuel my physical and mental endeavors far too much to eat a strict paleo diet.

    Finally, basic and advanced muscle testing (via Applied Kinesiology) yields consistent positive results for Quinoa in relation to my body.

    YMMV.

    Reply

  • Steve Beisheim — September 22nd, 2010, 8:02 pm

    I have to say that if you’re enjoying your life and eating gluten works for you, then you should continue what you’re doing… I think a positive mindset, love, sociability contribute greatly to how your body does and what it can digest. The happier you are and the better your vibration, then the better everything is in your life and the better you can handle and process everything. Stay happy and loving. Then pretty soon you can eat anything without consequence!

    Reply

  • Jared — September 22nd, 2010, 8:47 pm

    @Paul Green MD PhD

    Is that any worse than a doctor telling people not to eat egg yolks with 0 scientific evidence of harm? You do realize that there is not even correlation between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol, right? And there is a weak correlation between total cholesterol and heart disease for only males? Right? Doctor? Professor?

    I guess it’s pretty easy to make Ad Hominem attacks when you can hide behind the MD and PhD after your name?

    I’m finishing my PhD now, and it certainly hasn’t made me omniscient. You just made a perfect example of a doctor talking out of his ass who has done minimal investigation into these matters.

    And for all of your patients, can you have them send me the egg yolks? I think they’re delicious, and only a moron would throw away the most nutritious, delicious part of the egg. Those kind of people like the feeling of punishing themselves and the sympathetic magic they are practicing that that kind of useless penance evokes more than the taste of food.

    Don’t eat the yolks? How would I make creme brulee?

    Reply

  • Cameron Benz — September 22nd, 2010, 9:22 pm

    @ Dr Paul Green

    So uh can you cite any resources for your claims on egg yolk being linked to serum cholesterol? Because here’s a study that counters your claim with more links contained therein.

    http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/80/1/58?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=%22egg+yolk&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT

    Reply

  • Miki — September 22nd, 2010, 9:44 pm

    @ Cameron Benz

    Actually Cameron, the research you mention supports Dr Green’s claim:

    “Conclusion: ****Limiting*** egg consumption may have some health benefits, at least in women in geographic areas where egg consumption makes a relatively large contribution to total dietary cholesterol intake.”

    Reply

  • Kevin Costello — September 22nd, 2010, 9:47 pm

    @ Steve Button

    re: ankylosing spondylitis – Low Starch Diet vs Paleo Diet

    1. The low starch diet is based on the work of a London based researcher – Dr Alan Ebringer. His theory is that people with a certain gene [HLA-B27], and a leaky gut, and an overgrowth of the bacterium Klebsiella will develop AS. Essentially all that klebsiella in your leaky gut gets in to the blood and ends up in places like the uvea (hence the iritis/uveitis) and in the collagen in joints (esp the sacro-illiac joint). This triggers an autoimmune response, which due to molecular mimicry results in the destruction of healthy tissue and all kinds of inflammation. Ebringer’s diet is supposed to reduce the Klebsiella population and thus reduce the AS symptoms.

    2. Robb Wolf’s version of the Paleo diet has a heavy emphasis on avoiding any foods that are known gut irritants which promote leaky gut and thus autoimmunity. Gluten is the #1 offender, but Robb goes into considerable detail re: all potential irritants. He stresses that everyone has different tolerances for this stuff, so his recommendation is to eliminate all gut irritants for a period of time, and then gradually add back, assess, tinker, etc.

    3. I have AS, and UC, Uveitis, Psoriasis, etc etc. I take a lot of meds, but over the past 4 mos I have been following a very strict Paleo regimen with great success: basically grass fed meat, wild caught fish, most veggies, fruit. This means no grains of any kind, no gluten, no sugars, no processed food, no legumes, no dairy, no eggs, no nuts, no seeds, no nightshade veggies [potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, egg plant]. If Ebringer is right, by avoiding starches and sugars I’m reducing the klebsiella, and if Robb Wolf is right, I’m healing my gut and reducing the permeability and the resulting molecular mimicry autoimmune response.

    4. If you have chronic iritis, IBS symptoms and joint pain, esp in the sacro-illiac area, there is a very good chance you have AS or psoriatic arthritis. Do you have any rashes? Is the back pain worse in the morning? How about tendonitis (esp achilles)? Chest pain? Are you a male under the age of 30? You need to see a rheumatologist and get tested for the HLA-B27 gene. This is a progressive disease. It will just keep getting worse and if not treated, will leave you crippled. The good news is there are many treatments and the sooner you get diagnosed, the less damage. I suffered for almost 20 yrs before finally getting treated. This is typical – symptoms usually start in the late teens and 20s, but the diagnosis usually takes 7-12 yrs.

    Hope this helps somebody.

    Reply

  • Trev — September 22nd, 2010, 11:56 pm

    So, where does Beer fall in to this on the “bad for you” scale?

    What about potatoes and potato-based flour/pastas?

    Reply

  • Kate — September 23rd, 2010, 12:21 am

    I’m going to try a version of this diet, as I often feel mildly unwell without any specific symptoms, and I figure trying it can’t hurt.

    However, I’m not convinced that everything in the article is an absolute truth, and many of my concerns have been mentioned by others in the comments. I’ll certainly have to do some more research before deciding on a specific diet plan.

    One question that was raised repeatedly but never answered (as far as I could see – I apologise if I missed a relevant post) is the question of sustainability. Ok, the diet may improve the health of the individual (not everybody, apparently, but most people who try it). If a few thousand people start eating a paleo diet, that’s all very well – but what if you managed to convince several million people to eliminate grains from their diet and eat more meat and fish? Would that even be sustainable?

    As far as I understood things (as I learned them in school, this may be outdated information) the point of settling down in fixed places and inventing agriculture was partly that this lifestyle could sustain larger communities as opposed to the hunter/gatherer nomads who needed a larger territory to feed their smaller tribes. What would happen if a large number of people reverted to the H/G diet?

    Not that I’ve tried it (yet), but a sensible option seems to be eating insects instead. That would be consistent with the “what-our-ancestors-ate”-idea as well as (probably) being better for us and our planet than beef production.
    I can’t find the original article that introduced me to this idea, but here’s another:
    http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0715_040715_tvinsectfood.html

    Any thoughts? I’d be curious to hear what the experts would say about this.

    Reply

  • Cameron Benz — September 23rd, 2010, 12:48 am

    @ Miki

    Sorry for wording my original post poorly. Is that what you get out of it?

    ****Limiting*** egg consumption MAY have some health benefits, at least in women in geographic areas where egg consumption makes a relatively large contribution to total dietary cholesterol intake.”

    It only says may, it doesn’t say that’s for sure. It also said something about no noticeable change in men. I’d cut and paste that offer but its a pain now that I’m on my blackberry. I suspect that ultimately, if you’re already unhealthy and you start consuming fried eggs for breakfast every freakin morning, its probably going to an increase in cholesterol. I seem to recall butter once being evil and margarine was hailed as the saving grace and ultimately, it turned out to be far worse.

    My primary point is, here comes a doctor and starts saying something to the effect of “oh I’m an MD and I know far more than you simply because I have MD behind my name. In my experience, MDs are who you call when you need surgery or pills. I’ve yet to encounter one who actually treated stuff rather trying to cram pharmaceuticals down my throat. And this particular doctor seems to regard his education as the end all be all of the health community, despite the fact that science marches on.

    I once heard someone say that doctors are only practicing medicine because if they had it right, they wouldn’t be practicing.

    Reply

  • Eddie — September 23rd, 2010, 1:45 am

    Looking at how popular this post is, I think your new book is going to sell pretty darn well. G’luck Tim!

    Reply

  • Kellye Parish — September 23rd, 2010, 2:44 am

    Wow Tim, I’m surprised at the volley of comments this post has generated. Apparently in a green and educated society, Paleo is very controversial. :)

    Forgot to mention earlier – thanks for the blog and the conversation, I thoroughly enjoy it. I may disagree with Paleo on moral grounds, but for the sake of honesty I’ll admit I do believe it is a significantly healthier diet, at least for the individual, than SAD [Standard American Diet].

    I also wanted to encourage those who are considering Paleo simply for weight loss reasons to try and give vegetarianism with low dairy intake a shot in that arena as well. I went vegetarian last summer and lost forty pounds over the course of three months with no added exercise (other than some low impact while getting out in the vegetable garden, but as a gym rat I don’t consider “weeding” as real exercise :P ). When I went back to the doctor, he grudgingly said my bloodwork was perfect. This was an amazing result to me since I come from a family of people rife with congenital heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. My aunt who was forty-five actually died of a massive heart attack last fall, and she was not even overweight.

    Anyway, anyone interested in more information about the moral argument for dropping animal products should check out this documentary – you can find the full video free on Youtube, but the trailer is here:

    http://www.earthlings.com/

    Reply

  • John — September 23rd, 2010, 2:44 am

    @Mike

    Actually Mike, a number of authors have recently changed positions on meat production, world hunger, etc

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/sep/06/meat-production-veganism-deforestation

    There is also the “Vegetarian Myth” by Lierre Keith..

    If the animals are pastured, meat eating is a net gain to world calorie production. and in terms of nutrient density per acerage of production for certain kinds of land, you can’t beat ruminant animals or foraging animals turning marginal land for crops into nutrient dense food for humans.

    So, except for religious/ethical objections for vegeterianism, etc., the environmental objections actually have the opposite end result for the environment and world.

    Reply

  • Josh Bulloc — September 23rd, 2010, 4:16 am

    I am always into improving my physical performance as a recreational body builder so I am probably going to try this. As long as I can eat fruit I am pretty sure I will have no problem eliminating grains.

    Josh Bulloc
    Kansas City, MO
    How can I help?

    Reply

  • John — September 23rd, 2010, 4:31 am

    @Dr. Paul Green

    First, I echo the sentiments of a few others – in my experience and that of many friends, doctors have some of the worst and most biased views on nutrition, disease, etc. of any segment of the population.

    Per eggs and cholesterol, have you checked out all the research compiled by Chris Masterjohn,

    http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/

    Or the work of Mary Enig, who has a PhD in lipid chemistry, or any of the books by major writers/researchers that explore the evidence and point out doctored studies, wrong conclusions from the data, etc.?

    Or Cereal Killer by Alan Watson?

    Or the French paradox, where these people eat huge amounts of cholesterol and don’t have any of the issues associated with cholesterol in Western American minds? http://www.salon.com/travel/food/feature/2000/02/04/paradox (BTw, I don’t think this is a paradox at all to someone who understands nutrition and food from a non-indoctrinated American perspective)

    Even consider that it is refined grains, cards, and trans-fats and PUFA’s that are the real cause? Those both biologically and historically make far better sense than blaming natural occurring cholesterol and saturated fat.

    I read both sides, and think it is pretty clear that mainstream doctors and medicine is completely wrong… moreso, proof is in the pudding. Over the last 50 years of government dietary recommendations, America has become a obese, degenerated, sickly people because of all these “wellness” guidelines.

    Eggs are more than perfectly fine, and cholesterol intake has little if nothing to do with your body cholesterol levels, etc. The findings in this area are so contradictory and confused, and many of the studies so poorly designed, that I would trust nature and history over any doc any day.

    Reply

  • Carl-Philipp — September 23rd, 2010, 5:24 am

    I do not understand things simply from reading about it and I do not fully understand the gluten issue in theory, but trying it out and seeing what effect it has on me I do understand. So I have been on a gluten free diet since April and I have lost the dead weight and my energy level seems to be more steady.
    My suggestion is to try things and see and feel the effect on your body and not to get hung up in theoretical discussions.
    I enjoy reading your blog, Tim, and your book, and I am still trying to figure out your scam (joke). Your posts have inspired me to see how long I can hold my breath while still performing my mindless job (I got up to 2 minutes), or to write down my dreams in the middle of the night and see the nonsense in the morning and to put together a project to be my muse (got a little stuck) and just to play around with information and experience of others.
    I am reluctant to give you all the credit just out of spite.
    Thanks!

    Reply

  • matt — September 23rd, 2010, 5:44 am

    i didnt get through the whole thing yet (just skimmed) but this seems like a great article, i especially like the comparison to gluten consumption when you have an issue with it to a pack a day habit. the only thing i saw that was different that what i have seen in my research (i have be diagnosed with celiac since early 08) is that oats by the selves are gluten free but their gluten comes from contamination in shared fields, trucks, and equipment, major brands tested up to over 1,000 ppm of gluten. some brands out there do produce truly gluten free oats. however even with those some gluten intolerant people/ celiacs can have a reaction but it is not directly due to gluten but to an allergy that they have on top of the gluten issue.

    As a rule though, pretty much any oats you find in anything in the grocery store are not going to be safe.

    i will suggest to anyone who thinks they have a problem to push their doctors to find out what is wrong, my doctor when i was about 16 just blew off the fact i was taking imodium every day and having horrible GI issues as “o you jsut might have a touch of IBS”… really dude, a “touch”. my family uses an applied kinesiologist (alternative medicine using chiropractics and muscle testing, its weird but it works) and he was the one that figured out i had celiac, after going gluten free my immune system started functioning normally (before i would get colds 3-4 months a year). after i switched normal doctors i told him all this and explained the symptoms that went away and he agreed and said there was no point for me to poison my self for a month by eating gluten just to get a blood test to tell me what i already know… but i digress.

    i am very glad gluten intolerance/celiac along with other food sensitivities and allergies are being talked about more and more, and with an estimates 20+ million americans with gluten intolerance and most of them have no clue, we need all the info out there we can get

    Reply

  • Dennis KB — September 23rd, 2010, 6:18 am

    This time last year I weighed 245 lbs and was weightlifting 5 times a week. When my trainer left, I saw two videos on youtube regarding the paleo diet and exercise because I wanted to know more after seeing it referred to so oft on crossfit and crossfit affiliate websites, though I’m no Crossfitter. Needless to say, I was floored.

    In February of this year I switched to a fully paleo diet with one weekly cheat meal which I have since eliminated. I reduced my lifting to 2-4 times per week, whatever I felt like, and threw in a decent-paced run every once and a while. My fat disappeared so quickly that I’m still waiting for my skin to tighten a little more so that my abs (ABS!?!?) can show.

    Today, I hopped on a scale at 170.6 lbs. My deadlift, bench press, squat, and cleans are all just as strong as last year. My row times are a little slower because I don’t weigh as much and I’ll trade that for 4 sets of 10+ pullups without a doubt. When I started running, I would run for 1 mile, now I run a barefoot beach 3.5 without any trouble, other than irksome toe-blisters ouch!

    I documented all of my progress on my facebook page if anyone has any interest in seeing pics of a fat guy turned thin, but I truly believe that the palo diet and a reduced exercise schedule has changed my life and I can’t ever see myself living in any other way.

    BIG THANKS to Tim and Robb for the insight and for making this potentially life saving nugget of wisdom available to everyone.

    Reply

  • Tao — September 23rd, 2010, 7:11 am

    This is all well and good but for a student–like me–it’s an economic nightmare. Meat is expensive here in Denmark. Even pork, which I’ve read is the cheapest of meats runs high in price. Not sure how to make this work honestly.

    Reply

  • Teresa Brenneke — September 23rd, 2010, 7:24 am

    I find this all very interesting, and suffering from auto immune problems, hypo-thyrioidism, and vitiligo, I am sure there is something not right with my system. I do not suffer from any sort of gut problems, and I currently eat a high fiber diet early in the day, due to a family history of colon cancer.

    However, I am a long distance triathlete and runner, wondering how you address the very low carbohydrate diet and needed the body to work for 5+ hours. Just curious…

    Reply

  • Steve Wyman — September 23rd, 2010, 8:13 am

    Hi Tim

    Excellent article. Nope not just saying that.

    Ive suffered with the pain of multiple gout attacks for the last 18 yrs (yikes im getting old).

    The number one coause of an attack. Protein overload. However I discovered by trial and error that by eliminating bread and bread type products from my diet Ive lost 1.5 stone in a year and my gout attacks are 5% as frequent

    I can now eat chicken everyday somethingi could not when eating bread.

    The proff is in the pudding.

    regards

    Steve Wyman

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 23rd, 2010, 10:45 am

      Congratulations, Steve! Gout is some serious business. I also highly recommend removing diet sodas and carbonation (phosphoric acid), if you haven’t already. See Gary Taube’s post on gout on this blog, if you just search his name here.

      Well done,

      Tim

      Reply

  • Valerie — September 23rd, 2010, 8:17 am

    I may give this a shot for a month or two just to see how I feel. I’m already on a low-carb diet, but giving up legumes and cheese makes me sad! But, getting to add more fruit back into my diet is a plus. Overall I have no digestive or health issues – other than a propensity to put on weight ridiculously easy.

    Tim, I recommend gin over tequila if you really want to be carb-less. Most amber-colored liquors are made with grains, gin is made with juniper berries.

    Hard to believe that humans aren’t meant to eat beans and nuts, but are meant to eat eggs. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around that.

    Reply

    • Joss Delage — January 10th, 2011, 7:27 am

      Valerie – gin is grain alcohol, *flavored* with juniper berries.

      I’d go for cognac and armagnac, which are distilled from wine, or some of the hard spirits distilled from cider.

      Reply

  • judith — September 23rd, 2010, 8:23 am

    It is a great article… if a bit lengthy at that. Can see clearly why gluten could be a problem. Decided to try it out,just for the sake of experimentation. Personally, eating a mostly unprocessed, fresh food diet is something I started some +20 years back…while reading the Fit for Life program. Since that time, have made my breakfast from from fresh fruits only and not eaten anything else before 1 PM. Have followed the entire program for a few months and worked well for the entire family, but we dropped it later on due to too many restrictions – remained with the breakfast routin as well as eating a fresh, mostly salad based meals with whole grains and total banning of sodas and artificial drinks. It kept us all healthy quite well, so I am in total agreement here, fresh foods are the way to go.

    One question, I noted you mentioned sweet potatoes on the menu – is the regular potatoe also suitable? How about mushrooms, fresh? Found also that eating mushrooms greatly decreases my need for meat, while it adds loads of taste to all meals, fresh or stir fried.

    How about wild rice? And corn meal cooked in water?

    Would appreciate a quick reply back… thanks for the article.

    Reply

  • MarcoB — September 23rd, 2010, 8:40 am

    TIm’s new book will be a huge hit. I figured he would go with something similar to the Paleo Diet. It has everything you would want as an entrepreneur. It was the perfect Muse. The sales page almost writes itself. I wish you all the success in the world because the 4HWW helped change my life.

    Out of the internet fitness gurus I prefer Brad Pilon and John Barban. They push their targeted products but they also don’t use words like poison and kill.

    Does anyone actually believe they are being poisoned by their 1/3 Cup of Oatmeal? For 99% of the population it will not make a difference.

    Calories are no longer in vogue but they matter and will always matter for weight loss. This is no miracle cure all. It is a diet that falls in a great targeted niche market.

    The eat less book is much harder to sell. Paleo is a great spin and I applaud the entrepreneurs who took the market share.

    Reply

  • Dan — September 23rd, 2010, 8:59 am

    I know this may get lost in a sea of comments but I have to write to say “thanks”. Actually feeling a little emotional at the moment, so I’ll try to make sense. Because of your article and comments I just ate chicken for the first time in 7 months!

    Might not seem like a big deal, and I didn’t think much of it either, except that dropping land animals from my diet had seemed to put me in a permanently bad mood!

    Let me back up – My wife and I made the decision to stop eating all land animals thinking this would be a good health decision after reading things like the China Study. Intellectually, it sounded good, and we felt cool telling all our friends. But steadily over the last 7 months I’ve felt worse and worse. Not really physically, but emotionally – and just irritable. Most people besides my wife wouldn’t have noticed on the surface. But at home I was constantly irritated, and not so much in my usual good mood anymore. She’d constantly tell me I’d turned into a real jerk and I’d just brush it off thinking maybe it was just stress or I was busy etc.

    But back to the point of this article, reading it, along with your comments helped wake me up a bit. I realized that, at first, we had supplemented our lack of land animal meat with good stuff – lots of veggies, fruits, salads and we were juicing almost everyday.

    But slowly this lack of meat I think left a certain hole in my diet in which I was supplementing more and more with breads, muffins, pastries, sweets and coffee (gluten and caffeine – lots of it a day, everyday). I’d still eat boiled eggs, wild salmon etc to try to get my protein but felt continuously unsatisfied – and just buried this feeling of hunger so it became unconscious – nothing I ate made me feel less hungry.

    I was unfocused at work, disinterested in fun activities and pretty much looked towards mainly busy work as distraction.

    The best takeaway was what I got from one of your comments, where you mention simply to get a blood test, be honest with yourself and how you feel and do what works for you by collecting data on a regular basis and by how you feel.

    Well, in short that’s what I’m doing – I got a blood test this morning, am back to eating some lean organic meat a few times a week and cut back on all those pastries and coffee.

    While the lack of meat at the time seemed like a wise health decision, it really threw things way out of balance. I know just eating meat again won’t instantly fix things – life is a holistic system – but I do feel MUCH better about not just blindly following a diet that really wasn’t working! I’m hoping to actually enjoy life again and be in my usual good mood, especially around my wife!

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 23rd, 2010, 10:42 am

      Dear Dan,

      Thank you so much for your comment, and your courage in posting this. I agree that life is more complicated than a single fix-all, but I suspect you’ll be feeling better in short order.

      Good luck!

      Tim

      Reply

  • Robb Wolf — September 23rd, 2010, 9:08 am

    Tao-
    Shoot for some good protein at each meal, but obviously what you can afford. You might find fish to be in-expensive where you live. Use lots of olive oil, nuts, seeds, yams, and just do your best. It’s not about perfection, just make it work the best you can. BTW-I’m doing a seminar in Hellerup, DK. If you can make it to the event you can attend at no charge. Contact me via my blog so we can get you signed up as we have limited seating and it’s nearly full. I’ll do my best to help you figure out a meal plan that works.

    Josh-
    I’d recommend yams and sweet potatoes over fruit to maintain better leanness but you can certainly tinker with that.

    Kate-
    I mentioned the book “The Vegetarian Myth” for the sustainability issues. Here is a good review:
    http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/lipid-hypothesis/the-vegetarian-myth/

    You are correct about bugs! Most humans lose the ability to digest lactose at some point, no one loses the enzymes to digest bug exoskeletons. I’ve eaten my share of fried cricket in thailand! Also, good on ya for being skeptical but open to tinkering…That’s all I ask. You should look, feel and perform better IF the nutrition and lifestyle pieces work for you.

    Trev-
    Benjamin Franklin said something to the effect: “Beer is proof God loves us.” But most are pretty heavy with gluten. Solution? Track down a gluten free variety:
    http://www.eurobrews.com/

    Keep in mind however sorghum is still a grain and some people react very poorly to it. Ditch the pasta, go with sweet potatoes, or regular potatoes in a pinch.

    KEVIN COSTELLO-
    Thank man, you rock.

    Mike Graf-
    Yes, check out the Vegetarian Myth link above for sustainability. Regarding animal health: The movie illustrates what grains do the the GI track of animals who eat them: Grains are so irritating to herd animals that it is literally a race arainst time to get the animals fat for sale before they die from digestive problems. The movie “King Corn” takes a pointed look at this.

    Rocky Harris-
    I to find the lowly sardine to be nearly perfect.

    Denny Chepin-I mentioned the add-on blood work in my first comment. I devote a whole chapter to it in the book.

    Paul Green MD-
    Who referred patient to me? You need to re-read that. That is an excerpt from the book and I cover a full spectrum of GI irritants including Dysbiosis, antibiotics, NSAIDS and some other factors. I use the well studied WGA transport system to illustrate a basic “leaky gut” progression that applies ultimate to all these scenarios. The reason why the book sells, the podcast is top 5 on iTunes is because it WORKS, I do not appreciate the Straw Man attempt here. If you’d like a book I’ll send you one, if you’d like to discuss or debate this stuff further I’m game, but DO NOT invoke the boogey man of “no one with out a medical degree has any business talking about health.” REALLY? While our economy is eroded due to failing health care we just sit on our hands and wait for YOU to save us? Sorry, my Libertarian streak necessitates personal accountability and action.

    James W-
    there are a few varieties of digestive enzymes geared towards breaking down gluten but it’s more for preventing problems form accidental contamination than making it easier to eat large amounts. I;ve not tinkered with them yet but tend to get a little sick wne I travel due to cross-contamination. I need to give them a look.

    Bob-
    I’d love to know how I’ve re-written Evolutionary Biology in a “tricky” way to sell books! What does this bode for the folks who have reversed Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions following these recommendations? Was that also “tricky?”

    Sean Carston-
    The use of intermittent fasting and nutritnet cycling is pretty interesting. We are doing a 6-8 week experiment with John Welbourn (300lb NFL lineman) and it’s pretty interesting. High volume olympic lifting, sprints and IF on a paleo approach. Interestingly, John had, by trial and error, arrived at the paleo way of eating years ago. We’ll post photos and a thorough write up once this concludes:
    http://talktomejohnnie.com/

    The IF is in part an attempt to reverse some of the trauma he sustained via his10 year career. This involves modulation of various cellular stress pathways like the Sirt-1 gene family. I’ll be looking at this type of stuff in my next book.

    Juan Tello-
    I like Tim’s glutamine recommendation but make sure it is a gluten free variety. That can be tricky. I’d go 100% grain, legume and diary free. Cook your food well to aid digestion. Take probiotics, Newchapter has some good options. SLEEEP!!!!! 8-9 hrs per hight in a blacked out room. Sleep improves secretory IGA which helps to re-establish gut health.

    AC-
    these might be helpful:
    http://robbwolf.com/tools/

    Sean Carson- I agree up to a point, but it is the very transition form the foraging life-way to agriculture that we begin to see these problems manifest:
    http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/low-carb-diets/nutrition-and-health-in-agriculturalists-and-hunter-gatherers/
    It does no one any good to ignore this and try to place all foods on the same nutritional level.

    Chris Ashenden-God bless you! It is remarkable how much kick-back one receives from “give it a shot, tell me what happened.” Perhaps if folks had read chapter 1 of the book and realized I had ulcerative colitis, high blood pressure and other health problems while following a vegan approach they might be more open to experimentation? Nah!

    Reply

  • Bob — September 23rd, 2010, 9:21 am

    Looks like substituting one problem for another. Your gut will be fine on this diet, but your heart and circulatory system will be seriously adversely effected by the increase in sodium and cholesterol it contains.

    Reply

  • Ashley — September 23rd, 2010, 10:54 am

    Great article. My friends and I are currently in a 6 week paleo challenge and so far things are going great.

    I’m a little special, I have Multiple Endocrine Neoplaysia 1 and have had multiple surgeries to remove tumors from my pancreas/liver/abdomen. I also do not have a gall bladder. My question is, because I do not have a gall bladder, are there certain vitamins I should be taking to make up for the loss. Right now I take Omega 3 and Vitamin D.

    Thank you for anyone who responds, this is a huge struggle for me b/c the answer for all doctors is operate and they all believe using food as medicine is a joke and I don’t, so it’s hard find straight answers on this subject.

    Reply

  • Jared — September 23rd, 2010, 11:06 am

    @Bob

    “but your heart and circulatory system will be seriously adversely effected by the increase in sodium and cholesterol it contains.”

    You should read the book. Robb Wolf claims your cholesterol markers, triglycerides, and other lab numbers will improve on this diet.

    I’m also amazed how many people call this a marketing ploy and are still stuck on “eat less” and “moderation.”

    For me, this diet removes these issues completely. You don’t have to think about eating less. Your hunger, appetite, and energy levels all are extremely well managed and you don’t have to think about portion size anymore. Your body knows what portion size you need. It’s an amazing thing. Pretty much everything you’ve heard about portion control and cravings becomes completely MOOT on this diet.

    Also, the people pushing “moderation.” Would you say that twinkies are an essential part of a diet in “moderation?” Probably not, right? The point is that there IS no point to eating twinkies even in moderation and the same is true of grains. There is nothing essential in grains that you can’t get from more nutrient-dense food. If human beings did not eat grains as a significant calorie source for most of our evolution, why are you so insistent that they be eaten in ‘moderation’? Is it really that hard to give them up and see how you feel?

    Really, that’s the only way to understand what you are not understanding right now. The fact that you are still talking about “portion control” and “moderation” means you don’t get it. Until you have experienced this kind of nourishment at every meal that precludes the need for these things, you won’t understand that they are only necessary in a world where so many of our diets are terribly wrong. This is the kind of thing that will shift how you think about food. Just give it a try and quit making silly excuses. At the least, read the book.

    Reply

  • Jared — September 23rd, 2010, 11:16 am

    Oh, and about the egg study. If you look at the raw data, the >2 egg a day group is only 69 women. The other groups have over a thousand women. This means that every death in the >2 egg a day group is weight over an order of magnitude more than the deaths in other groups. I doubt this is a repeatable result. Also, with such a comparably small group, it seems much harder to control for cofactors. The >2 egg a day group had marginally more smokers, and the study authors claim the small difference in smoking rates means there probably aren’t other cofactors to control for. This seems like a pretty big assumption.

    The fact that there are so many fewer women in the >2 egg a day group seems to me to mean that these kind of people are quite different than people who don’t eat so many eggs. They are pretty damn unique in at least one way, I doubt it’s the only way.

    Regardless, to start telling patients to not eat egg yolks from such inconclusive studies that don’t even establish good correlations (let alone causation) doesn’t seem like a very good idea to me.

    Reply

  • Holly — September 23rd, 2010, 11:38 am

    I am very confused but some of this. I Have been gluten free for a little over a year but I never considered giving up all grains. I guess I have always believed that there were gf grains. but on the other hand I have been sick even on my gf diet. I would love to know more about this grain free diet.

    Reply

  • laney — September 23rd, 2010, 11:58 am

    Hi, so this is what I want to say on the vegetarian posits. I have read back and forth that some say a plant based diet is the most healthy and I have read the opposite as well. And of course everyone has data to back up their hypothesis. I don’t have data, but I do have my own life experience. I was raised vegan by a very well intentioned mother. My staple foods growing up were brown rice, millet, barley, quinoa, soy milk, tofu, sea vegetables, squash, yams, sweet potatoes and fruits. My mother never smoked, drank alcohol and was an avid yogini. At 54, my mother died from a horrible autoimmune disease. No one could believe that she died. She was so thin and healthy! But by the time she died, her osteoporosis was so bad that she had 70% bone density loss. She had compression fractures up and down her spine, and couldn’t even be moved in a wheelchair, she needed to be lifted up and down in a stretcher flat on her back. Which was easy because she only weighed around 80 pounds at her sickest. Before she died, she said to me, “I think we made a mistake here…” and she made me promise that I’d try to eat meat. I was very resistant after her death, believing that it was not her diet that killed her, it was an autoimmune disease. But eventually I gave in and began to eat dairy, then fish, then chicken and turkey, then red meat. It was the best thing I ever did. My fingernails began to grow, my hair became thicker and more lustrous, and I stopped getting sick (I used to have sinus infections all the time– I haven’t had one in years). But the most notable difference was that I stopped being dizzy and foggy. I used to be pretty spacey, had trouble concentrating and was always dizzy when I stood up. That all stopped pretty instantly. I was 28 when I began eating meat again. I wish I’d done it 10 years earlier, college would have been a very different experience for me.

    Reply

  • Timo — September 23rd, 2010, 12:00 pm

    @Robb: Will your book be available as an e-book (Kindle, iBook, whatever) anytime soon? I would like to buy it, but would really prefer an electronic version. Should I wait?

    Reply

  • Arlene P. — September 23rd, 2010, 12:18 pm

    Hey Tim,

    I read Robb’s post and after the initial horror I was amazed to find out that something that I’ve been eating all my life could be killing me. I am ready and willing to lay off grains, but the substitution will be difficult. My family is Dominican and not a day goes by that we don’t eat rice and bread. We’re also big on plantains (it’s an international joke) and other “viveres” like yuca and malanga. I was wondering if these kinds of foods are no-no’s as well? Viveres are starches, I think, just like potatoes. I know they aren’t as bad as grains, but do they cause significant (even in the long term) harm.

    Hungrily waiting for the answer…

    Reply

  • Naing — September 23rd, 2010, 1:06 pm

    I’m a huge fan of Tim Ferriss. As a med student, comments of Leigh Peele got me goose bumps. Thanks a lot for the awesome post.

    Looking forward to the next life-changing book,
    Naing

    P.S.: Tim why not a visit to Myanmar?

    Reply

  • Jorgen — September 23rd, 2010, 1:09 pm

    Hi Tim

    I really like this article, have been looking into this paleolithic diet for a while now and put most of it to use. Feel much better to. I can highly recommende the book Primal Body, Primal Mind. That is where I got my information from.

    Have a great day, looking forward to your new book.
    Jorgen

    Reply

  • Elizabeth Allen — September 23rd, 2010, 1:29 pm

    On a 2000 calorie diet, what range/percentage of caloric intake is recommended come from protein on the Paleolithic Diet?

    Thank You.

    Reply

  • Tyler — September 23rd, 2010, 1:55 pm

    Hi Tim,

    I’m going to attempt a comment despite it likely being lost in the sea…

    Tim, you’re a favourite author of mine and proponent of Interesting Ideas. Another favourite author of mine, who I know you’re acquainted with, is Nicholas Nassim Taleb. So it amazes me that you can so seemingly wholeheartedly endorse Robb’s system while perhaps ignoring one of Nassim’s main ideas:

    It’s not what we know, it’s what we don’t know.

    Remember the “library of unread books” from the Black Swan? That is what we have in Robb’s article – a sea of anecdote and reasoning based only on supporting evidence (confirmation bias).

    What about all the Type 1 diabetics who DON’T have gut inflammation?

    Or those who have OTHER autoimmune diseases, NOT gut problems? (people, having autoimmune disease A + gut autoimmune disease B does not = gut disease caused disease A. It means of course if you have one autoimmune disease you’re predisposed for another of some kind).

    Or all the other possible antigens that could trigger a molecular mimicry response (esp. viruses)?

    What about all the correlation of heart disease/diabetes with OTHER environmental factors (not cereals)?

    What about all those who try paleo diets and DON’T feel better?

    I could go on and on, but you get the picture – it’s what we’re NOT being told here that matters, and I think there’s enough negative or neutral evidence that the positive evidence is pretty shallow, at best.

    And the worst logical problem you’re promoting here, Tim… the idea that the best thing to do is TRY it and see for your self… what you’re not saying is that:

    Even if you try something, and you get a result that you expect, it does not mean it’s from the cause you thought it was! therefore: (cut out cereals + feel better) does NOT = cereals made you feel bad! That is not “evidence”. That’s speculation.

    Personal anecdote is not good enough. “Well, it worked for me” does not equal causation.

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 23rd, 2010, 4:03 pm

      Hi Tyler,

      Thanks for the comment. I agree with almost all of your comments and, yes, I am acquainted with Nassim.

      First, this is a post by Robb. I’ve made it clear, even in the post itself, that I deviate slightly from his model.

      Second, I think “the plural of anecdote does not equal data” attack on good self-experimentation is unfounded most of the time. I’ll have more to say about this another time.

      Last, I haven’t chimed in on exact mechanisms. Robb has a lot of referenced material, so this post should be read in the context of that supporting material. But, needless to say, the exact mechanism is less important that the outcome, whether removing disease symptoms or bodyfat, as long as side-effects are controlled for.

      Hope that helps somehow!

      Tim

      Reply

  • Yeahright — September 23rd, 2010, 2:07 pm

    Well if you want to live like our ancestors, you need to hunt some deer and wild birds. Anything you buy at the store: organic, free range, farmer joe’s backyard animals, etc. is nothing like what our ancestors ate. Face facts, appreciate that your body is a wonderful adapting mechanism. Eat what you want, eat until not hungry (don’t eat until you are full), and enjoy life. You will live just as long as the “paleo” guy and be just as healthy. Trust me, my grandmother is 105 and eats everything described above as bad.

    Reply

  • billy — September 23rd, 2010, 2:17 pm

    Day 4 and I am down 4lbs and feeling great. Biggest challenge is that I have to keep reminding myself to eat, I don’t feel hungry despite eating a lot less junk. Though the $150 at the grocery store today was more than my usual, fruits and vegetables aren’t cheap.

    On a side note: Tim, please get remove the annoying share banner that is at the top of the screen. I would hope you would be more concerned with usability than getting a few extra clicks. At least, make it easier to move or get out of the way.

    Reply

  • omecool20 — September 23rd, 2010, 3:17 pm

    Interesting take Tim .. I have heard of this diet and will check it out further since you have mentioned it here. I do agree that moderation is the best policy, but some things we have to let go to live healthy :)

    Reply

  • Lina — September 23rd, 2010, 3:21 pm

    Very interesting that some grains have the same addictive qualities as heroin, Vicodin, etc.! But, no negative symptoms from bread and barley consumption here (and I exercise frequently and have no weight issues), so I’m looking forward to eating all the bread and drinking all the beer the rest of you leave behind!

    Reply

  • Steven Deering — September 23rd, 2010, 4:04 pm

    Your articles are always cool and insightful. I always forward them to friends, this one is very interested to me because I’m a vegetarian and now I’m thinking “good god NOW what do I eat?” I think I’m going to experiment, and go back to meat. I’m not that hardcore vegetarian, I know humans came to be from eating tasty animals that were too slow. Anyways, thanks again for the awesome articles! keep em coming.

    Reply

  • Tyler — September 23rd, 2010, 4:33 pm

    Hi Tim,

    Appreciate the response! You’re right, I don’t mean to conflate your opinions with Robb’s.

    I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts on the second point (future post? by email perhaps), “the plural of anecdote equals data”. As a medical student I struggle with how to deal with this a lot – I am convinced that almost anything can happen in an individual’s body, but very little is explainable at that level. Knowing this, how does one give “good” medical advice?

    Cheers,
    Tyler

    Reply

  • Paul Green MD PhD — September 23rd, 2010, 4:52 pm

    @Robb Wolf “Who referred patient to me?”
    Read your [own] book excerpt above:

    “Sally, Age Sixty One
    Sally was referred to us by her family physician…”

    Yes, surprise, surprise, you *do* need some type of formal training in medicine to offer reliable health and medical advice. You may not have heard of this, but it is usually called “common sense.” — Case in point: someone having a heart attack would most likely ask for a ‘Doctor,’ meaning an “MD,” not a ‘doctor’ in biochemistry… or an ‘herbalist,’ or a ‘biologist.’
    Hearsay, “health news” from television, newspapers, the Internet [research shows that up to 98% of health and medical information online is either false, misleading and/or inaccurate - Most of this information is provided by people that have absolutely no clue about health and medicine.

    Sorry, but you have to face reality: a degree in biochemistry and being a weight lifter definitely does not qualify you to offer health and medical advice.
    No offense, but in the past, you would have been justifiably called a "snake oil" peddler.
    If you claim that 'freedom of speech' allows you to advise and publish whatever you want [in theUS], I would totally agree with you, but, at the same time, and we all learn [or should learn] with experience, that most of what is sold as “healthy,” “very effective,” “miracle cure,” “what the medical *establishment* doesn’t want you to know,” is just plain, old fashioned *GARBAGE.*

    If you do this, you will make a lot of money from uninformed and uneducated people. Is this right? Well, yes, if your goal is to make a lot of money. However, you still will have to live with yourself. Which is fine if you do not have any sound ethical and/or moral principles.

    Paul Green MD PhD

    Reply

  • Brendan — September 23rd, 2010, 6:22 pm

    Tim, you are great at coming up with titles to your blog posts that catch interest and draw in readers, but maybe you should add a subtitle that actually accurately describes your posts. Especially since most–if not all–of them are worth reading on content alone and don’t need misleading, tabloid style titles to draw us (the readers) to click the link. What do you think?

    Reply

  • Davey — September 23rd, 2010, 6:40 pm

    Robb:

    First of all, great excerpt. I have seen success myself by cutting out gluten (though I still need to work on that quinoa).

    I was wondering if you could comment on the effect of cooking on grains. Would the cooking lead to denaturing of those effectively pathological proteins/enzymes from the grains or does it expose them by breaking down the cellulose in the cell walls? Thanks so much!

    Reply

  • bmack — September 23rd, 2010, 7:04 pm

    i <3 robb wolf again.

    beans are still a third world protein.

    AND for all those that dont know… if someone starts throwing acronyms at you RUN!

    Paul Green M.D., PHD why has our current medical system failed miserably? bc you treat symptoms not problems which allows a band aid to cover your work. egg yolk has zero credibility with atherosclerosis, heart attacks, strokes. this also is addressed several places here, but since you got your DEGREES you obviously failed to continue to learn. pull the acronyms!

    Reply

  • Murph — September 23rd, 2010, 8:57 pm

    I’ve done both Tim’s paleoish diet (lost 50 pounds) and a strict paleo. Both are great. Tim’s is easier to do/maintain IMO and you will still lose weight.

    About 2-3 weeks into a strict paleo however, I notice my whole personality changes. It’s strange. All the sudden I’m extroverted, optimistic, I have boundless energy, more drive etc. A lot of people focus on body image when dieting and basically what I’m trying to say is that there are just as many psychological reasons.

    I’d like to see how effective a simple diet change is with treating depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses.

    One more thing before I’m off. I’ve also tried reintroducing bread, beer, pasta, wheat, etc. Not to mention the weight gain, I get these side effects

    - bloating
    - insomnia
    - painful urination
    - depression
    - gastrointestinal pain
    - chest “tightness”
    - difficulty swallowing

    Anyway that’s my contribution. Cheers everybody.

    Reply

  • nikolay — September 23rd, 2010, 9:07 pm

    Great post!

    Tim are you familiar with Pier Duran’s diet? Looks similar to this but with diary products. I lost 15lbs (fat only) on ~200 body for less than a month, and eat as much as I wanted.

    Do you plan audio version for the new book and how soon after the paperback copy will be the release if such?

    Reply

  • Fran — September 23rd, 2010, 9:13 pm

    So Robb, in the diet you described above… So your saying stay away from Glutten but get your Cholesterol high enough to clogg up your arteries? With all the 2-4 Eggs in the morning? 2 average sized eggs are 200g and you should not consume more that 300g of cholesterol a day…. Kidney beans, Lentins etc they are an excellent source of soluble fiber (which helps you in the digestion process) You just have to drink considerable amounts of water per day to clean your digestive track and so mantaining it healthy as well.. I did like this article though but still having some issues with some of your points..

    Reply

  • Mason McClellan, LAc — September 23rd, 2010, 9:39 pm

    Great write, again! Can’t wait to post for our clinic. Chinese Medicine does not do a good job of discriminating about grains/gluten and such. If it has a label or is a grain, you probably shouldn’t eat it.

    Reply

  • Paul — September 23rd, 2010, 10:23 pm

    Gentlemen,

    Thank you for the informative post.

    Switching to a low-carb diet (meat, seafood, and vegetables) a couple of years ago improved my health drastically. I lost body fat, gained energy, ceased craving food 24/7, and rid myself of some nasty allergies (severe itching and hiving). So it’s easy for me to be enthusiastic about most of Robb’s advice.

    Like Tim, however, I love red wine, so one sentence of the post alarms me:
    “Anything that damages the gut lining (including…alcohol[!!!]…) can predispose one to autoimmunity, multiple chemical sensitivities, and allergies to otherwise benign foods.”

    What doses of wine would pose risks of autoimmunity, etc.? Would you recommend restricting consumption of wine? If so, how am I to tolerate my relatives? ;)

    Best,
    Paul

    PS to Tim: Keep up the great work, tiger.

    Reply

    • Tim Ferriss — September 23rd, 2010, 11:50 pm

      Hahaha… ah, tolerating the relatives. Tequila or gin both work quite well. Me, I’ll just be sticking with my red wine. I assume everything will kill me, so I can choose a few lesser devils that give me some enjoyment :)

      Tim

      Reply

  • Ajay — September 23rd, 2010, 10:35 pm

    Hi, Tim i am from India. as you know there are very few opportunities for business in India. i am 20 years old and done my graduation with computer application. but there is no job. so my parents are telling me to do MBA. if a do MBA then i have to stick with 9-5 job(which i hate) and my salary will be very low approx. $200 per month (9000 Rs). I have only $30 and my parents are not giving me money to start business because they think i loss all the money. what i do? i started i website [click on name] . but Google is not accepting me for Google Adsense. how i start my own website. i am also not good at English language because it is not my first language. how i ship my products to different countries from India to make money. any website? i read your book but i have nothing to start with. there are no one to help me. how i make money if i make $800 per month it is fulfill my dreams. plz gave me solution .plzzzzzzzz

    Reply

  • Huey — September 23rd, 2010, 11:14 pm

    Tyler, one thing to note: Nassim Taleb endorses a Paleo diet.

    Reply

  • Cameron Benz — September 24th, 2010, 12:10 am

    @ Paul,

    As Tim said, gin and tequila both work, particularly if you have relatives that require something higher octane than wine. A couple recipes I like:

    Gin Rickey
    In a rocks glass with ice add
    1oz Gin (personally prefer Bombay Saphire)
    2oz club soda
    Squeeze in half a lime

    Margarita
    Bucket glass or whatever works with ice (salt the rim first if you like that)
    1oz Tequila
    1/2oz Cointreau
    1 oz Sweet and Sour (make your own with 2 parts fresh lemon juice and 1 part simple syrup)
    Squeeze in half a lime (substitute other fruits for other flavors)
    Add a squeezed wedge of orange.

    And to help you keep the holiday spirit with the fam

    As much rum as you desire and mixed with a suitable amount of egg nog.

    Cheers.

    Reply

  • Elizabeth Allen — September 24th, 2010, 1:24 am

    Will someone please confirm these figures below as average for the Paleo diet?

    Protein – 35% of 2k cal = 700 cals /4 = 175 g
    Protein – 35% of 2k cal = 600 cals /4 = 150 g
    Fat – 30% of 2k cal = 700 cals /9 = 175 g
    Average Cholesterol = 700 mg

    Some outstanding features in the Paleo diet that concern me are:
    1. The levels of cholesterol and

    2. The forms in which the macro-nutrients (Fats, Carbs, Proteins) are packaged, I believe, are mostly items that are assimilated into the body and result in high levels of acid ash formation. This will in turn negatively affect the body’s PH balance which has been shown to have many ill effects.

    I have reviewed the beliefs of followers of the Paleo-diets stance on Cholesterol, and from what I gather, it is of the belief of the proponents of this diet that humans are able to consume more cholesterol than current FDA recommendations suggest.

    I would like to see some substantial peer reviewed research regarding the idea that cholesterol intake levels such as what is contained within the menus provided at the end of this article are in fact levels that are conducive to optimal health.

    I would also like to see some ph/litmus paper tests done (urine and saliva) as well as see nitrogen balance results on subjects on this diet.

    Thank you for creating a place where this can be discussed in such a productive manner. Very interesting replies so far!

    Reply

  • Elizabeth Allen — September 24th, 2010, 1:29 am

    Correction:

    Protein – 35% of 2k cal = 700 cals /4 = 175 g
    Carbohydrates – 35% of 2k cal = 600 cals /4 = 150 g
    Fat – 30% of 2k cal = 700 cals /9 = 175 g

    Reply

  • Elizabeth Allen — September 24th, 2010, 2:37 am

    My original post is still awaiting moderation, You can please delete my “corrected” post as well as this one (late night posting).

    I will correct it later if my original post goes up.

    Thank you.

    Reply

  • Food For Thought: Grains | Lou Mindar — September 24th, 2010, 4:25 am

    [...] am going to take the easy way out.  Tim Ferriss (He of 4-Hour Workweek fame) recently published a guest post by Robb Wolf, author of The Paleo Solution, that explains in detail the problems grains can cause.  He did a [...]

  • Jared — September 24th, 2010, 5:08 am

    @Elizabeth

    Google is your friend. As far as I know, no correlation between dietary cholesterol and heart disease has ever been found. Also, if you read around, you will realize that the correlation between saturated fat and heart disease isn’t there either:

    http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/ajcn.2009.27725v1

    Both of these lack of correlation make me believe, as you asked, that yes, most paleo dieters do not care what the government recommendations are for saturated fat and cholesterol. Not only that, but the general feeling is that the government is completely backwards in what it considers healthy and has a very strong agriculture bias.

    Also, your macronutrient %’s look off for me personally and the people I know who eat paleo. Most have fat calories above 50% and carbohydrates below 20.

    And your talk of acid ash, whatever that is, is new to me. It’s my understanding that the concerns about acid/base balance are actually addressed by a paleo diet of vegetables (alkalizing) and meats (acidifying). It’s even addressed here:

    http://www.thepaleodiet.com/nutritional_tools/acid.shtml

    Personally I think our bodies are pretty good at keeping this balance and that it isn’t a big deal. That’s my feelings, but I haven’t seen studies on it either way. The way you put it, it sounds like you take it pretty seriously. I’m skeptical as I haven’t heard much evidence. Beyond that, you can certainly have an alkalizing diet eating paleo.

    Other than that, what would you think if I told you that I demand to see research that says eating that level of cholesterol has a negative impact on your health. Would you go out and do a literature search for me? I doubt anyone here is going to do a literature search for you. Though, the one I’m asking actually makes more sense, since animal products with cholesterol have been proven safe for millions of years. It seems like someone should have to prove them unsafe, not visa versa. That really has never been done, so why is it that you are starting from that point of view? Do you actually have any reason to other than the bullshit you’ve heard in the media and from the government over the last 30 years?

    Reply

  • Pink1 — September 24th, 2010, 7:36 am

    What about chia? What are you guys doing with it? I was going to make some kind of warmed chia quinoa for breakfast. Only now I have tossed out the quinoa. They are growing it for fun on my farm and the folks who planted it are runners.

    Enjoyed the read I am on day three, no dairy, no grains. I believe.

    Smiles,
    Pink

    Reply

  • Shay Lynch — September 24th, 2010, 7:39 am

    Hi Tim,
    this is a very interesting post and I certainly enjoy reading new things on health issues, (i’m a health freak…most of the time…i’m also Irish, so i do like the odd pint….lol)
    I have a theory that the best foods for anyone are the type that are indigenous to their own locality and sourced naturally / organically and not mass farmed or produced as you described above, and this also includes saturated fats. I avoided fats for years growing up and always had trouble with my joints when playing competitive sports. I changed this along time ago and have noticed the improvements drastically. I have also have a diet closely linked to what you described above for a number of years now, not for the reasons you have suggested, but have always favored foods that are local to Ireland, as that is what our ancestors have eaten and that’s what our bodies have adapted to. Just like Eskimos have a high percentage of fat in their diets and doesn’t effect them the way the you would ‘typically’ think they should.
    I have always felt very good on this diet, haven’t been sick in many years and after some serious injuries, always made a full recovery, so for other reasons i can certainly vouch for this approach. I am 35 now and i am stronger, fitter and faster than when i was when i was 25 and i was competing at an international level at sports.
    I have one question for you. I have done some ‘testing’ on myself with certain foods and a number of years back I came across the Blood Type Diet. Now i don’t believe in exact science when it comes to the body, besides the fact that everyone is different, there are still variables that we don’t fully understand, but one thing struck me with this diet that i found interesting was the following. I am Type A-, rare for my part of the world. Typically people with this blood type have vegetarian origins, with low acidic blood and stomach acids, hence we should avoid red meat. I set out a test for myself. I never ate much red meat (although i love a good steak), however I began to increase it in my diet to see what effects it would have, and oh boy were there effects. The main effects were bloating, feeling very sluggish and the most profound was after eating a steak, for 3 days, i would weigh 2Kgs heavier and on the 4th day, i would go back to normal. This fascinated me as I can assure you I was not eating a steak that weighed 2Kgs. Effectively it made me retain fluids for longer and slow down everything in my digestion system. My question is, have you come across this on your travels or have done any studies on it.

    Warmest Regards

    Shay

    Reply

  • Ned Kock — September 24th, 2010, 7:41 am

    Very nice post indeed; informative and educational. I have run a multivariate analysis on the China Study II data; not surprisingly, the results are very consistent with this post:

    http://healthcorrelator.blogspot.com/2010/09/china-study-ii-wheat-flour-rice-and.html

    The analysis focuses on the associations between wheat flour, rice, and mortality from all cardiovascular diseases.

    Reply

  • Jonathan Voyce — September 24th, 2010, 8:21 am

    I have just started the Paleo diet (day three in fact). Something my brother pointed out to me, is that it’s not sustainable. We can’t feed the world without grains, and modern agriculture. Hell, if we had a corn blight, people would die! So much food is made with corn and grain, even most the meat eaten is fed with it. I have the luxury of being able to go on the Paleo diet, the world as a whole does not.

    Reply

  • Robb Wolf — September 24th, 2010, 9:06 am

    Elizabeth!
    Great questions…Not trying to be mean but you have not taken the time to read all the references listed! They address your concerns but here they are again:
    1-Macronutrient needs are flexible, the main point is good quality: Lena meats, seafoods, fruits veggies, good fats.
    -cholesterol is NOT the boogey man you may think. Everyday people suffer heart attack and stroke while sporting LOW blood cholesterol. The problem is inflammation, which is addressed with a paleo diet. I tackle ALL of this at length in the book, this is but one chapter. for more reading:
    http://www.thepaleodiet.com/articles/Meat%20Paradox%20Final.pdf
    http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm

    2-No, the paleo diet is a net alkaline diet:
    http://www.thepaleodiet.com/nutritional_tools/acid.shtml
    Also keep in mind that we have a remarkable buffering capacity. We can literally exchange pounds of bicarbonate via CO2 retention or excretions. I used to put a ton of weight on the acid/base issue…not so sure anymore.

    The ravanskov papers above are some of the best on the cholesterol fallacy…you just need to give that a read. Urine excretion/salivary pH os correlative issue…don’t you want to reap the BENEFITS of an alkaline diet? Better bones, no muscle wasting with age? The pH measures you mention are a bit like blood glucose levels, very transient, not very meaningful. HbA1c (A1c) by contrast tells us blood glucose over the course of time and is a very valuable. Similarly, we see remarkable improvements in bone density and reverse in “normal” age associated muscle wasting that would be indicative of an acid load diet. Let me know if this helps or if you need more information on a specific topic…but I;d ask you to please read the literature at both of these sites:

    http://www.thepaleodiet.com/published_research/

    http://www.staffanlindeberg.com/OurResearch.html

    Great questions.

    Cameron Benz-
    Nice kitchen chemistry! We have been tinkering with “Paleo Mojito’s” that involve Nicaraguan run (Flor de Cana is a good one) juice of 1 lime, organic mint, coconut water. DYNOMITE!

    Paul-
    The I’d not worry about the wine consumption unless you are tying to “Leave Los Vegas.” I mentioned those other routes of gut irritation so when people in the field of gut health and autoimmunity read the book they did not ping me about omitting those obvious issues. If you had significant inflammation or GI problems then we would look there. Otherwise, I’d not worry about it.

    Mason Mcclellen-I wrote a paper for Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine on Five Element Theory and the a pleo diet back in 99-2000. I will contact Paul Carston and see if he still has that.

    Fran-
    Please see the cholesterol references above. I just received life insurance through New York Life and I was issued the least expensive quote EVER from the office in Chico, CA for a 38 YO man. The underwriter said I was the healthiest applicant he has ever seen. I’m going to be working a bit with NY Life to promote paleo as a way of SAVING lives, not ending them. I respectfully request that you read the literature, then give this a shot and track your results. As an aside: Cholesterol is NOT heart disease. Inflammation IS.

    Murph-
    Eating this way does two interesting things for neurotransmitters: increases serotonin sensitivity which is typically lost in a high carb diet, increases dopamine production. Dopamine is the “go” neurotransmitter. Caffeine, nicotine both influence dopamine (and other pathways like the HPTA). It’s not surprising you experience more energy and “pop.”

    Davey-
    Sprouting and cooking decrease but do not eliminate anti-nutrients. I just recommend that folks remove grains, legumes, dairy for a month, reintroduce and see how you do.

    Paul Green MD-
    Sally was referred to me for TRAINING. As part of that training I also recommend a food change that dramatically improved her life and now her doctor is a huge supporter. Imaging that! Her doctor saw an obvious favor event, was curious and LEARNED something!

    Doc, interestingly, I do not see you taking me to task on ANY science! Isn’t that fascinating? You instead attempt a Straw Man discrediting of the information because I am not part of the New Clergy! Talk to me about ethics doc, when I’m recommending whole, unprocessed foods, few supplements (none of which I sell) sound sleep, moderate exercise and plenty of community. How many statins have you prescribed? Did you ever prescribe Phen-Phen? Have you ever recommended someone under-go gall bladder removal? Ethics, really?

    If you want to talk the science let’s do it. Luckily this is NOT the dark ages, people can experiment and find what works. I have no idea what your notion of medicine is but Doc you need a reminder: Medicine is a branch of Biology. The guiding tenant of biology is Evolution Via Natural Selection. Now, you either get that and understand that an ancestral diet and evolutionary medicine is at the heart of human health and wellness or you are just making stuff up. So, what is it do, do you buy Evolution? Or are Humans unique snowflakes that are not governed by biology?

    Doc- You either comment on the science here or acknowledge this this is a character assassination and has nothing to do with science or oddly enough, helping people.

    Here is a doctor and a professor of pharmacology who seem to think I am spot on:
    http://drbganimalpharm.blogspot.com/2010/09/pimping-robb-keep-your-poop-where-it.html
    http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/robb-wolfs-new-paleo-solution.html

    Ah, but I guess they are “unethical” too?

    Tyler-
    I fundamental problem with medicine as it is practiced currently, and DR. Green is perhaps a remarkable example of this, is that it is NOT based in science. Evolution via Natural Selection has not been applied to the question/answer/interpretation process around most of medicine and the biological sciences.
    here are a few things to consider:
    http://www.staffanlindeberg.com/OurResearch.html
    From that research page:
    “Our main objective is to study nutrition in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease and related metabolic disorders. The working hypothesis is that a Paleolithic diet (the Paleolithic is the time period 2,000,000-10,000 years BP), basically meat, fish, vegetables, fruit and nuts, has benefits even compared with prudent diets based on whole-grain cereals and low-fat milk.
    The basic notions are that
    1) foods are appropriate for any given species if they were regularly consumed during most of its prior evolution;
    2) plants protect themselves with bioactive substances directly aimed at animals, substances which may have untoward effects on long-term human health.”

    This is framing biological research from a testable, hypothetical model. Do you remember your physics and chemistry classes? Quantum mechanics, Newtonian Mechanics, crystal field theory…these are the guiding principles of those, more evolved fields. Biology has evolution via natural selection but it has not percolated into medicine. this is where you need to frame you thinking (in my opinion) or one suggestion looks just as good as any other. Medicine also had a guiding principle that has largely been lost: First, Do no Harm.
    finally, I’d recommend reading this debate between T-Colin Campbell, Author of the China Study, and Loren Cordain, Author of the Paleo diet. Of particular interest will be Prof. Cordain’s introduction which discusses these topics:
    http://www.cathletics.com/articles/proteinDebate.pdf

    Paul Green MD-
    I paid Prof’s Cordain and Campbell to have that debate and then made it available for FREE for people to read and make their own decisions about the material. Can you enlighten us as to how that is an ethical failing on my part?

    Tyler-
    You wrote:
    “What about all the Type 1 diabetics who DON’T have gut inflammation?” These papers illustrate a commonality between autoimmunity nd gut damage. In some situations we do not see WGA antibody activity, but only Zonulin up-regulation. In one paper the authors observe that about half the children who have Type 1 diabetes currently have celiac, but given the high expression of transglutaminase antibodies the other children are HIGHLY likely to develop celiac:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16644703
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12409286
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17045415

    You are asking a lot of good questions and the frustration is obvious but what has happened is your medical education has failed to provide an organizational framework to look at this stuff. So you are left scratching around trying to make sense of a bunch of parts and pieces.
    tyler, you are right about the observational nature of some of this but that is only because you do not understand the mechanisms. If you give someone a sedative and you see them go to sleep that is “observational” but you have faith in the process because of pharmacology. You need to do some reading on this evolutionary biology stuff then you will understand that the removal of grains and the improvement in health is on par with your pharmacology observations.

    Ashley-
    I’d certainly add Ox bile your meals to enhance fat and fat soluble vitamin absorption. Cook your food well. Gall bladder removal and many of the problems associated with pancreatitis have strong linkage to grain intolerance. I’d play with that stuff.

    I cannot find the question now but tim shot me an email saying someone had a question about millet. All grains tend to have gluten like proteins, rich in the amino acid proline which makes them tough to digest:
    http://www.afripro.org.uk/papers/Paper03Shewry.pdf
    Corn has Zein, oats have Avenin. Sensitivities vary but they are a problem. And again, this is why I recommend tinkering with this stuff and going 100% grain, legume, dairy free for a month, then reintroducing.

    Ok, that is three hours of answering questions, time for breakfast.

    Reply

  • Jules Marsh, MD — September 24th, 2010, 9:28 am

    @Paul Green: Seriously. Have you ever worked in a hospital that didn’t serve french fries and potato chips all day long in their cafeteria? How many physicians do you know that take things like sleep and stress management seriously? The simple truth is that the medical profession is ABYSMAL in it’s teaching of nutrition and wellness. Get yourself run over by a car, and we’re great at sewing you back together. We SUCK at keeping healthy people healthy, and most of us have horribly unhealthy lives ourselves. Most doctors are still parroting advice to reduce the cholesterol in diets when we’ve known for over 30 years that it doesn’t even change surrogate markers of health. In four years of medical school and three years of family medicine residency I didn’t learn a tenth as much about nutrition and wellness as I have listening to Robb. And it shows. I went paleo about a year and a half ago. In the process I lost 175 pounds, put on a bunch of muscle, and went from a lethargic couch potato to a fit, strong, athlete. If you think doctors are the only place people should be getting nutrition advice then great. The first thing doctors need to do is start giving people advice that works. If your advice doesn’t work and Robb’s does, guess who people are going to turn to for advice? I know who I paid for a consult when I got stuck with my diet last spring. It wasn’t my doctor. It was Robb.

    Jules Marsh, MD

    Reply

  • James Stein, MD — September 24th, 2010, 9:35 am

    This is complete drivel, based largely on pseudoscience, anecdotal evidence, and speculation. Some things you’ve mentioned are indeed true and valuable: that is, that diet plays a large load in both psychological and physiological conditions.

    Diet can influence health greatly and that’s well known both in and out of the scientific community, but gluten is not to blame. I believe, rather than trying to drastically restrict your diet based on a personal trainer’s limited knowledge, you should endeavor to integrate more natural, unprocessed foods into your diet as well all the while increasing your consumption of whole grains.

    During a study where researchers looked at populations with the longest life, the vast majority ate healthy, balanced diets of mostly unprocessed foods. For Tim Ferriss readers who may be fans of barefoot running you may recall that the Tarahumara’s food consumption was largely pinole (made primarily by Chia seeds).

    Another danger of the ideas expressed above is that it makes unverified claims. People might actually get off of medication that is significantly important to their well-being, daily functioning, as well as their bodily functions, because they buy into the testimonials in this article and try to become their own doctors. Indeed, this diet may be effective, but if one considers getting off important medication for ANY of those conditions, they need to do so under the supervision of an experienced and intelligible physician.

    Alternative medicine may be quite seductive, but even most naturopaths or ostepathic doctors (DOs) will recommend sticking with what has been scientifically proven time and time again. For Tim Ferriss readers, this may be a challenge as you’ve been conditioned to go against the grain, but conventional wisdom is conventional wisdom for a reason: it’s sound.

    Reply

    • Lynn Ertell — March 30th, 2012, 7:12 pm

      “Diet can influence health greatly and that’s well known both in and out of the scientific community, but gluten is not to blame. I believe, rather than trying to drastically restrict your diet based on a personal trainer’s limited knowledge, you should endeavor to integrate more natural, unprocessed foods into your diet as well all the while increasing your consumption of whole grains.” – James Stein, MD

      Is this an argument that “natural” or “organically grown” whole grains are significantly different than processed whole grains, with respect to both the gluten and the gliadin mechanisms ? (Just struggling to understand the underlying biochemistry, especially the tolerance/addiction aspect of it.)

      Reply

  • Paul Green MD Phd — September 24th, 2010, 9:40 am

    Tim,
    It is not my intention to offend anyone… but I confess that I could be a tad harsh from time to time. As I wrote before, “a little knowledge is dangerous.”
    You see, I am not a “politically correct” person, particularly when it comes down to tell people *real* facts about health and medicine. It is stunning the profound ignorance so many people choose to live in. Of course, including many people commenting here…
    I do believe that *political correctness* is the ultimate form of hypocrisy, and the last time I checked, hypocrisy is not a virtue.

    So, please tell me what part of my comments here have caused you to feel attacked or offended. Let’s have an open and honest discussion, *based on REAL, PROVEN* facts about health and medicine, diets, grains, cholesterol, diseases *totally* preventable by sensible diets, etc. Thank you.

    Paul Green MD Phd

    Reply

  • Stein — September 24th, 2010, 9:46 am

    I’d like my above comment to be removed after much thought. I believe it may incite controversy. Additionally, I believe I haven’t looked into the issue sufficiently and would not like to give an opinion that may be critical of paleo-dieters without enough backing.

    Best,
    James

    Reply

  • Raine — September 24th, 2010, 9:54 am

    This is a very important and informative article. I have never experienced the kind of health I have now, which is the best I’ve had in my life (and I’m 41) until I kicked my grain-replete diet and started eating real food with lots of healthy fats and proteins. Some people might laugh when they hear the term “real food”, but as an activist, I am keenly concerned with dispelling the vegetarian an vegan myths, as they are propagated by large industry (big agriculture and medical alike). These dietary recommendations don’t come with any real scientific evidence to back them up – they are all grounded in marketing and higher profit margins, and that’s it. Studies conducted that show vegetarian and vegan diets to be healthful are faulty and just plain wrong. If you follow the money behind these studies (and believe me, there’s a whole lot of that), you’ll find that there are big corporations funding these who sell certain products. Those companies are not going to allow small, sustainable and humanely-geared farmers to get ahead. And they have the power and financial backing to do it. When I was a vegetarian, I was never sicker in my life. When I returned to a diet high in fat, protein filled diet from animals raised sustainably and humanely, I saw improvements in my health I never knew imaginable. The “hard scientific evidence” and studies available saying a diet low in fat and high in grains and plants is better for health are simply incorrect, and is backed by industry to increase profit margins. I followed that philosophy and it got me nowhere except incredibly sick and malnourished. Low-thyroid, infertility, inability to gain weight, fatigue, insomnia, irritability, depression, nausea, muscle weakness, digestive issues, and much more. So anyone here who believes otherwise – please explain why my health is the best it’s ever been on a high fat and protein diet (and yes, I eat vegetables too, but 60-70 percent of my diet is nutrient-dense and is composed of foods with fat and protein) whereas before it was in the toilet. You will probably say there is no “scientific evidence” to support this, and yet it is otherwise. How can that be?

    Reply

  • Robb Wolf — September 24th, 2010, 10:42 am

    Paul Green MD-
    You need to read this blog post by your colleague, Dr. Mike Eades:
    http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/statins/the-pitiful-state-of-medical-ignorance/
    Tyler, you’d also do well to really study that post and its message. Dr. Green, you are part of the problem, not the solution. Somewhere along the line you quit thinking and that lack, because you are part of the New Clergy, that lack cost people in quality of life, if not life itself.

    When Quantum Mechanics first emerged it created a Holy War in Physics. The debates raged and the only thing that brought the world to a newer, better understanding of physics and the universe was a dying off of the old guard. Doc, you are fighting a losing battle and you do not even know it.

    http://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/v5/n12/full/nphys1474.html

    Reply

  • Rj — September 24th, 2010, 11:15 am

    So after you say “before you can say “whole wheat!,” I’m lost in translation.

    “Suggest that people should perhaps forgo bread and pasta for their health and they will bury a butter knife in your forehead before you can say “whole wheat!” Sorry folks, I don’t make these rules, I just have the lovely task of educating you about them.”

    My question:
    Does this mean whole wheat pasta is the way to go? Or should we totally avoid whole wheat pasta? Someone commented later about it that it’s nasty and should be avoided.

    Rj

    Reply

    • WalterB — July 25th, 2012, 9:08 am

      There is *no* reason for whole wheat pasta. It doesn’t give you the pasta experience and also it’s mostly starch (glucose) calories, at best.

      Reply

  • Jennifer Crews — September 24th, 2010, 11:53 am

    Tim, thank you for once again promoting the non-mainstream truth. It’s clear that, while modern medicine is great for extreme emergencies, it is woefully lacking on the preventative front.

    My no-carb journey started when I did a modified Atkins Diet in the 90s, but at that time it was about losing weight. Over a couple of years, it became about being less tired and more productive. I moved away from that way of eating around 2004 for a while because so many people (some laypeople and some professionals) would question my elimination of an entire food group. Later, I realized how arbitrary the FDA food pyramid is (or maybe not, but it’s driven by economics more than science).

    Then in 2007, I was adamant about getting off my anti-depressants, which I had started taking due to an acutely stressful person crisis that I had since resolved. My doctor kept telling me there was no reason to stop taking them. I disagreed, especially because I was planning to have a baby. So I started researching and my trainer recommended The Heart Doctor’s Cure (Dr. Al Sears) which made me revisit eliminating carbs. Next came The Waterfall Diet (Linda Lazarides), which gave me more detail about the science you described above. Finally, the Blood Type Diet made me recognize my particular sensitivity to gluten as an O blood type.

    But, none of these books hit the issue head on like Robb Wolf does – I will be ordering this book on Amazon right after I finish this post. I had been suspecting for a while that gluten is causing auto-immune disorders, especially after seeing Gary Null’s video of how some kids are being cured of autism by eliminating gluten, casein and taking probiotics.

    Thank you for using your power base to spread the word. We are literally killing ourselves with food, which many forget – is a chemical just like any pharmaceutical!

    I beg you to tackle vaccines next. I know it’s a hot-button topic (to say the least) and I am sure the commenters will go wild on me after this, but the science is exactly the same. In extreme cases, such as an environment where there is horrible nutrition, water treatment and sanitation (like a third world country), vaccines are a critical emergency measure for saving lives. But in the US, where they are used as a preventative measure, all they are doing is ripping our intestines apart and causing chronic illness. Following the Paleo Diet would be better for protecting against infectious disease than any vaccine. I know that if anyone can help other people learn about the hidden danger of vaccines, it’s you. I hope you take me up on it.

    Reply

  • Olly Hermon-Taylor — September 24th, 2010, 12:29 pm

    This great post has certainly stirred up a few strong feelings! Keep up the good work Tim.

    Robb, I love the sound of your book and am excited about reading more. In the meantime, here is my two pence worth.

    I say live and let live. If you want to be a vegetarian or a vegan, or just eat bread and pasta and enjoy life, then more power to you.

    On the other hand, if you want to live paleo-stylee, then hunt, gather and be merry.

    Do what you works for you and helps you to reach your potential in this life. If other people don’t agree, well that’s just the way the (gluten free) cookie crumbles. Getting really stressed out about it is likely to do more damage than any nutritional issues and in a much shorter space of time.

    What we must remember is that dogmatic views, on either side of the argument, are not particularly constructive, or a good thing. Listen for a minute and you might learn something.

    No one has all of the answers, or ever will.

    But that shouldn’t stop you from experimenting and taking action, or telling the world your opinion, if it is what you genuinely believe. Rather than shooting something down in flames because it runs contrary to what you have been exposed to before, give it a try and make an honest judgement, for yourself, as to whether it works or not, based on experience.

    Work with the level of knowledge that you have at this particular moment in time. You may not have all of the facts but at least you are brave enough to take some kind of action. If you were wrong, then don’t worry. Just correct course and keep trying.

    And don’t be scared of standing up and admitting that you were wrong. As your level of knowledge increases, you’ll realise you were wrong about many things, or could have done many things better. So what? At least you took some action and learnt from your mistakes, instead of sitting on the fence and criticising.

    Remember, life is a journey, not a destination. We are talking about Paleo nutrition here, not Paleo thinking!

    Finally, one thing I do know is that just being a medical doctor REALLY doesn’t make you an expert on nutrition. In my local surgery, there are posters on display advising patients to base their meals around starchy carbohydrates in the form of white and brown breads, pastas and rices, potatoes etc., only eat small servings of lean protein, minimise red meat intake and eat 5 daily servings of fruit and veg.

    We have the most advanced medical knowledge and technology ever known to man, have drugs for every ailment under the sun (and their numerous side affects) and specialists for every area of medicine, yet obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypothyroidism and many other diseases / conditions related to lifestyle and nutrition (amongst other things) are running wild and set to become the norm, rather than the exception.

    Something doesn’t add up here…

    Love you all,
    Olly

    Reply

  • Johnathan — September 24th, 2010, 1:08 pm

    Those stories really brought back memories of my troubles with Celiac Disease especially the child with the constant stomach pains. Those days were rough. It’s quit amazing to find out what something that is considered a staple of our food today can really do to you pertaining to digestive health. It’s such a shock to everyone because gluten itself is a diagnosis for many health aliments. When you get sick and become bedridden what do the “good ole Doc’s” tell you to do? They recommend a bland diet as one story mentioned earlier. Now let’s say you get sick or maybe even bedridden, wouldn’t you go grab something bland? Like grabbing a piece of toast and butter maybe jam on top of the toast to settle your symptoms? It’s amazing that we all were in fact doing damage instead of “settling” the problem. I also would like to state a future forecast. There has been so much upcoming rise to this topic and so much heat has been brought on to the GLUTEN FREE diet I believe this will be the next upcoming health trend. So be informed and know when the trend hit’s you will not be doing
    this because it’s the next cool thing but because you made an informed factual based decision. It takes people like me and you Tim to inform the public of a Gluten free diet.

    -Johnathan

    Reply

  • Jonathan Browne — September 24th, 2010, 3:45 pm

    I have a theory that the body actually uses a small amount of foods/substances that are thought of as poisons to strengthen the entire system.

    I think eventually we will find that the optimal diet includes a tremendously wide variety of whole foods with no food group being predominant.

    Reply

    • Lynn Ertell — March 30th, 2012, 7:23 pm

      Strong evolutionary motive for that hypothesis. Variety and variation clearly strengthens any species over time by eliminating deadly recessive traits. If so in genetics then why not in diet ? The ancients observed intuitively that a tiny dose of “poisonous” plant or fungus could be used effectively as medicine or tonic. And the converse as well. Worth pursuing.

      Reply

  • Mike R. — September 24th, 2010, 4:11 pm

    For Tim or Robb,

    I follow a paleo type diet, so I agree with most of this post. I feel 100% better, while laying off grains and sugar. However, your argument that wheat uses lectins to defend against predators eating it, while fruit has a give take relationship with those animals which eat it, got me thinking…how about vegetables?? Surely they don’t want to be eaten, and many vegetables have defense systems in the form of chemicals to deter predators. Would it be safe to assume certain vegetables in moderate quantities could cause health problems as well? There are some in the paleo community who argue we should eat mostly meat, some fruit, and very little vegetables. Any thoughts?

    Reply

  • Sheila — September 24th, 2010, 4:21 pm

    Hi Tim,
    The day before I read this posting, I had a QE Therapy session (QEtherapy.com) to see if we could figure out why my ankle is always swollen and why I never lose weight (besides eating too much:). The therapist (Elizabeth Tomboulian) advised me that I could possibly have poo (feces) in my bloodstream that was infecting my whole system. She did some work on me and I still need to have some work done on my ankle. She also recommended a special diet that includes grains – but which directed me not to eat grains in combination with meat – sort of a food combing diet.

    After discovering your amazingly timely article, I went ahead and bought Robb Wolf’s book – The Paleo Solution and started my 30 day test on 9/20/10 (this past Monday). I think this is the logical next step for me. Thanks Tim.
    p.s. By the way – I have both editions of your 4 Hour Work Week. :) Great books!

    Reply

  • Ravi — September 24th, 2010, 11:22 pm

    I’ve been on a 100% plant-based diet (vegan) for the past decade. My energy is through the roof. I’ve competed dozens of tris (and Ironmans) and generally function at a high level all day in a corporate environment.

    I eat some gluten (but try to limit it)…but find that the absolute key is getting TONS of fresh leafy greens every day, TONS of organic fruits and TONS of clean water (ideally from a natural spring).

    I noticed a MASSIVE change when I cut dairy out of my diet (I was vegetarian for years before going vegan). Dairy was like sludge running through my body and I didn’t realize until I cut it out for a month.

    There is also the big variable called SLEEP that I think is as important as diet (if not more so…try going a few days without it and you’ll see what I mean).

    I know there are a lot of vegans/veggies reading this post….and I hope they don’t totally throw out their commitment without first thinking through how they can get similar benefits by just reducing/eliminating gluten, exercising daily and hydrating/sleeping well without going 100% paleo.

    Ravi

    Reply

  • Kellye — September 25th, 2010, 4:35 am

    Anyone who is having problems on a vegetarian diet is having problems with malnutrition, NOT vegetarianism. You *have* to do it right. You *have* to keep on top of your macros.

    Man cannot live on refried beans and French fries alone. You actually have to eat some spinach and whatnot.

    Reply

  • Stephen Bell — September 25th, 2010, 7:03 am

    Ermm Denise Minger has actually done quite an awful job a critiquing ‘The China Study’ I’m afraid. It’s easy to believe what you want to believe, so make sure you all read both sides of the arguments guy’s and gals: -

    Even a quick glance at her conclusions leaves an awful amount of problems… Science just doesn’t back up high meat, high fat or high protein.
    All the longest lived cultures in the world treat meat as a condiment. The Inuits and the Maasai live to a ripe old age of 60 (thats after you discount infant mortality).
    If anyone can offer peer reviewed scientific information about the benefits of high meat/animal product consumption on performance and longevity, please can you link me.
    Cheers

    Reply

  • Robb Wolf — September 25th, 2010, 8:10 am

    Folks might find this piece from the Weston Price Foundation interesting:

    http://westonaprice.org/blogs/the-curious-case-of-campbells-rats-does-protein-deficiency-prevent-cancer.html

    Ravi-
    Sounds like you are experiencing great results, that’s awesome, but unless you have tried paleo, you really do not have a solid comparison. Either way, I think your recommendations are spot on and we certainly agree the gluten is best avoided. If you ever decide to experiment I;d be interested in your observations.

    MIKE R-
    YES! Plants have chemical defense mechanisms to and this is one of the recommendations for “variety.” from a toxicological standpoint we can overwhelm different detox systems by eating too much of the same food. On another level we see certain foods like cruciferous vegetables contain anti-thyroid chemicals (called goitrogens). Now this does NOT mean we stop eating plants! It’s just calls for some variety. Certain plants, like hot peppers, have taken this defense system to a pretty advanced, but tasty level.

    I had a paper that listed a couple dozen plants and the associated naturally occurring toxins but I can’t find it. Look for stuff from Bruce Ames who is pretty much the founder of modern toxicology:
    http://www.greenbalance.org/cancer/2-cancer-chemicals.htm

    RJ- what I’m suggesting is “no wheat.”

    Reply

    • Kit — July 12th, 2012, 4:05 pm

      Hi Robb,
      As a vegetarian, mushrooms, lentils and legumes are a large part of my diet. I was directed to this through Tim Ferris and his work :)
      Could you, or someone, please comment on mushrooms? I love them and I also use Quorn in my diet, (Quorn is a product brand – “Mycoprotein is the common ingredient in all Quorn products. It’s made from a member of the fungi family (the same family that morels and truffles belong to) and is a high-quality meat-free protein that’s low in fat, high in dietary fibre.”)
      I’ve just come across the Paleo ‘diet’, but as a vegetarian, the options are not that appealing!
      I look forward to anyone’s thoughts on this matter :)
      Cheers
      Kit

      Reply

  • Mike — September 25th, 2010, 9:25 am

    I’ve also been on the paleo diet for about 18 months…along with the kettlebell workout. My whole body has changed! I never get sick and my energy level is thru the roof. Basically just don’t eat food that’s not natural.

    Tim, I think that eating whole fish is also a huge factor in getting healthy. There’s not enough emphasis on this.

    I own a seafood market and eat fish almost everyday. If you learn to eat whole fish instead of fillet you’ll save a ton of money. Plus, any filleted fish is soaked in sodium tripolyphosphate which cant be good for you.

    Keep it up…

    Reply

    • Kristin — February 19th, 2011, 9:45 pm

      sodium tripolyphosphate ?

      Please tell me more about fish and it’s processing – we get salmon that is identified on it’s packaging as being from Peter Pan from a fisherman here – Pacific Halibut has gone up due to a % 25 cutback in harvest for the upcoming year. What kinds of fish do others prefer and why?

      Reply

  • Jennifer Crews — September 25th, 2010, 10:03 am

    One more thing…I forgot, in my initial comment, to thank Robb…

    Robb – you do an amazing job of explaining the science behind your recommendation in a way that’s easy for people to wrap their brains around it. I can’t wait to read your book cover to cover.

    Be well!

    Reply

  • Isha — September 25th, 2010, 11:45 am

    If I ate that weekly diet I’d be so hungry I’d eat the sofa.

    And ham?! sausage?! Are you kidding? There’s not much healthy about heavily processed meat O_o

    Reply

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