Exploring The Caveman Diet
I have been involved in athletics and health promotion my entire adult life. I was coached, raised and educated that the ultimate diet for athletes in general terms was high carbohydrate, moderate protein and low fat. I competed, was taught at the college and professional level and preached this diet to all my clients and assumed that science and medicine had proven this to be the dietary formula.
Over the past five years, I have been researching “alternative” diet philosophies, party spurred by my own career ending health problems that were traced to something called insulin resistance. This is a dysfunction where the body stops responding to the surge of insulin which normally reduces the elevated blood sugar caused by eating. This can lead to an array of health and performance problems such as type II diabetes, dysglycemia, chronic fatigue, hormonal issues and more. I started digging around due to sinking thoughts that at least some of my issues stemmed from the dietary guidelines that I considered the gospel of athlete nutrition.
Video explaining the how/what/why of insulin resistance:
My most recent research has been on a dietary philosophy called the Paleo Diet, Primal Diet or what I have termed the Caveman Diet. The theory is that our bodies could not have evolved in the relatively short time period between the agricultural revolution and now, meaning that we should still be eating similar to Paleolithic man or Caveman. Evolution theoretically takes a very long time and since the advent of farming, grains, bread, pasta, dairy and all the other food marvels of the current times, the mindset is that we are just not equipped to process those foods just yet. Our bodies may have a negative reaction to eating these items. Heart disease, diabetes, etc. could really be caused by insulin resistance and other negative effects that are directly related to the high carbohydrate diet comprised of these “modern” foods and possibly going back to the ways of our ancestors could improve not only health but athletic performance.
Although the theory of not having enough evolutionary time can make sense, it is nonetheless very difficult for me to accept after a career of practice, education and preaching the high carb, low fat “athlete diet.” The Caveman diet is almost the opposite. Eat like a hunter-gatherer: meats, fish, veggies, fruit and nuts. Really high protein, moderate carbohydrate and by today’s standards, high fat (animal sources at that!). Depending on what version of the Caveman diet I study, sometimes there is no distinction between saturated and unsaturated fats and cholesterol may be ignored altogether. You can see why this dietary theory goes against so much that has been taught and pounded into all of our heads in the last 25 years. (Remember the food pyramid?) Again, this dietary philosophy has been very difficult for me to accept let alone do and preach.
Instead of just continuing the endless research (which I still do almost daily), I have decided to experiment on the only voluntary subject that would do it for free: me. By the time you read this I will have been on a pretty strict Caveman Diet for almost a month. You can keep up with my progress, feelings and mishaps at http://coachseiji.com/wp/blog/. It has been interesting not only figure out what to eat but also how I respond to the diet during training and regular day to day activities.
I am not saying that the Caveman Diet is the universal answer for all athletes. What I am saying is that there are alternatives to the historically preached high carbohydrate, low fat route and that you should research and experiment for yourself if you feel your current diet is not optimal. How you feel, how it affects your health and how you perform will ultimately determine which dietary philosophy works for your particular situation. What may be the “normal” diet may not be optimal for you. Every metabolism, physiology and yes, tastes, are different and there may not be an answer that even works for the majority of athletes. Explore, learn and find out for yourself what works the best for you. Do this while you are still in your growing and learning stages of your athletic career so you can take advantage of any positive findings. You never know, a change from the status quo may be the best change you make!
Resources on the Caveman Diet:
The Paleo Diet for Athletes, by Loren Cordain, PhD and Joe Friel. Also see www.paleodiet.com.
The Primal Blueprint, by Mark Sisson. Also see www.marksdailyapple.com.
Tons of other books and websites are out there, I just haven’t gotten to all of them yet!
Seiji Ishii is the head coach of www.coachseiji.com. Coachseiji.com provides online coaching and personal training services to motorsports athletes. Coach Seiji has worked with both pros and elite amateurs including: Heath Voss, Ryan Clark, Matt Lemoine, Hunter Hewitt, Austin Stroupe, PJ Larsen, Drew Yenerich and Rusty Potter. Learn more at www.coachseiji.com or contact Coach Seiji directly at seiji@coachseiji.com