Meet the new hard-core version of the Paleo diet

The Paleo diet has grown in popularity over the last few years, despite the fact there is no large-scale scientific evidence to support its claims. Like most fad diets, it relies on the personal success stories of people to keep its momentum, and like most fads, it has been subject to some modification. SEE ALSO: Paleo-vegan diet: Yes, it’s a thing The Paleo diet, which places an emphasis on eating things only primitive humans would have access too–like meat, fruit and vegetables–goes by the motto “If a caveman wouldn’t eat it, neither should you.” While it doesn’t seem like this simple diet could get any simpler, a new version has made it into the public’s eye: Whole30. Whole30 has been around since 2009 and takes the Paleo diet’s relatively lax structure and refines it. While there is some “cheating” involved under the traditional Paleo plan, Whole30 makes the dieter stick to the plan for 30 days before he or she is allowed to indulge in something non-caveman-like, listing specific types of foods to avoid and the exceptions. Whole30 is about cleansing the body, according to it’s creator, Melissa Hartwig, and that means completely eliminating inflammatory foods day 1 of the diet plan. Unlike in the traditional Paleo plan, having even a splash of milk or a bite of an off-limit legume means starting the 30-day program over. “It is not hard,” Hartwig, wrote on the company’s website. “Beating cancer is hard. Birthing a baby is hard. Losing a parent is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard.” Dieters on the plan are instructed to eat the regular Paleo fare of meat, vegetables and fruit while avoiding: Added sugar. Alcohol of any kind. Grains. Legumes. Dairy. Carrageenan, MSG or sulfites. Not surprisingly, adhering to the plan also means eliminating foods that contain the above ingredients (like baked goods and more complex dishes). The Whole30 plan exceptions and their explanations, according to the website, include: Clarified Butter or Ghee. Clarified butter or ghee is the only source of dairy allowed during your Whole30. (Plain old butter is not allowed, as the milk proteins found in non-clarified butter could impact the results of your program.) Fruit juice as a sweetener. Some products will use orange or apple juice as a sweetener. We have to draw the line somewhere, so fruit juice is an acceptable ingredient during your Whole30. Certain legumes. We’re fine with green beans, sugar snap peas, and snow peas. While they’re technically a legume, these are far more “pod” than “bean,” and green plant matter is generally good for you. Vinegar. Most forms of vinegar (including white, balsamic, apple cider, red wine, and rice) are allowed during your Whole30 program. The only exceptions are vinegars with added sugar, or malt vinegar, which generally contains gluten. Salt. Did you know that all iodized table salt contains sugar? Sugar (often in the form of dextrose) is chemically essential to keep the potassium iodide from oxidizing and being lost. Because all restaurant and pre-packaged foods contain salt, we’re making salt an exception to our “no added sugar” rule. But does this program make sense? Fitness and food coach Liz Barnet told Elle she believes the plan can work if someone is able to stick with it.  “It’s a plan to help you stay focused,” she said. “The Whole30 is restrictive because you’re cutting out a lot of foods, but I try to focus on what you can have. You think of new ways to cook certain foods that you’re unfamiliar with. Maybe you’ve not had that many brussels sprouts before, so looking up as many different ways you can make them delicious is a good way to get through it. With the length of time, you’ll learn enough cooking techniques (or ordering techniques) and recipes, so you feel confident carrying that on after. Also, you won’t crave those other foods as much.” SEE ALSO: Paleo diet: Can eating like a ‘caveman’ really make you healthy? The Whole30 website also cautions dieters that trying to re-create junk foods by excluding the off-limits ingredients defeats the purpose of the diet–so just accept the fact that you can’t have junk food or this diet isn’t for you!The post Meet the new hard-core version of the Paleo diet appeared first on Voxxi.