A diet full of stories and myths. However, it is nothing more than a diet based on real food. It is intended for those who seek health, above all. Thus, to get to know a little better about all the benefits of the Paleo Diet, the Blog Sport & Health interviewed Coach Teco Mendes, a member of the Brazilian Coaching Society and Primal Health Coach, as well as the author of the book “Stop liking what makes you sick and lose weight being Paleo.”
Blog Sports & Health:
What is the Paleo Diet and how did it come about?
Coach Teco Mendes:
The Paleo Diet came more recently with Dr. Lorain Cordain’s 2002 book called “The Paleo Diet.” The basic concept is that with the advent of agriculture, about 10,000 years ago, certain foods were introduced into our diet and that our bodies weren’t fit for. I would like to recall that since its development 2.6 million years ago to approximately 10,000 years, men were only a collectors or hunters, feeding on game and harvesting the vegetables that were above the ground. And studies show that those people were much healthier with this eating pattern. Ah, this period is called Paleolithic. And here comes the name of the diet.
Blog Sports & Health:
Can we lose weight with Paleo?
Coach Teco Mendes:
In fact, it does not make you lose weight. However, the Paleo Diet brings back the body composition that your body was genetically made to have. For example, if you are underweight, it reestablishes that as well.
And more, the excess of carbohydrates in the form of sugar and grains is a very important factor that deregulates our bodies, causing a dependence on this source of energy, which is external, not using fat as the primary source, and that we have in excess to be used.
Another reason that helps you to lose weight is because we leave aside industrialized foods and those highly processed products. It is very common to hear that someone has clogged himself with cake, chocolate and ice cream than with broccoli. The Paleo Diet helps control this compulsion.
Sports & Health Blog:
What is the basis of Paleo feed? What can and can not eat?
Coach Teco Mendes:
It seems strange to speak of this, but the basis of the Paleo Diet is food! But real food. Meat, eggs, vegetables, good fats, nuts, fruits. And what is not eaten in Paleo? For example, grains, processed foods, trans fats and vegetable oils, sugar. But calm down! There are a range of foods that can be consumed; it will depend on how radical you want to be. Certain foods can enter our good list: cheeses, wine, chocolates (over 70% cocoa) and legumes.
Sports & Health Blog:
What is outside of this diet and is totally disposable?
Coach Teco Mendes:
Totally out of this diet, and that is common sense among the authors, are: most grains, sugar and processed.
Sports & Health Blog:
Why should we adopt the Paleo diet? What are the main benefits?
Coach Teco Mendes:
The Paleo Diet is a quest for health. And even those who believe they need more carbohydrates or those who do not eat meat can also be Paleo. The benefits are many! It is the optimization of health and the best expression of your genes for it. Other than that, the improvement of neurological, autoimmune degenerative diseases, and even the decrease of contracting a cancer, is also being studied.
Sports & Health Blog:
Are there variations of the Paleo Diet?
Coach Teco Mendes:
Yes, I have already made a text about it in my blog “sendopaleo.com.” I think the differences are like vegetarians who can be extreme, vegans who do not eat honey and even the least radical like Egg-lacto-vegetarians, who eat dairy and eggs. It depends on each author and the way of facing the diet. But what we have always in common is: get away from industrialized foods and eat real ones.
Sports & Health Blog:
Do you need some kind of adaptation to begin this diet? Or you just start?
Coach Teco Mendes:
Adaptation comes when you begin. Like any change in an eating pattern the body feels, even if it is for its own good. This period lasts on average 3 weeks and comes with several symptoms called keto flu where the body will switch to using fat as primary source of energy instead of sugar. And fatigue, headache, constipation can occur. But it’s worth it!
Sports & Health Blog:
Was it the Caveman Diet?
Coach Teco Mendes:
Haha! No! This is a concept that many people use to criticize the name of this lifestyle. We just want to undo the damage of the current food pyramid, which tells us to eat cereal bars every 3 hours, cook with canola oil, and simply feed ourselves in a way that is more in line with our body evolution and it is healthier.
And a lot of lies came out in the late 70’s, but as it is a long and interesting story. I suggest visiting my Blog. I have everything there!
Sports & Health Blog:
Is this diet a new fad?
Coach Teco Mendes:
“Considering that we have been eating that pattern for 2.6 million years, a fad is any other diet that came later. Even those recent ones, the “light” and “diet” that came a few decades ago.. But our grandparents always cooked with lard and were much healthier. “
Sports & Health Blog:
And when did you discover this diet?
Coach Teco Mendes:
I discovered the Paleo Diet in 2012 and I am Paleo since then. But right at the beginning I saw that understanding and believing all this was just a success factor. Because I could not follow it. I could not do any diet. I realized that people knew they had to avoid such foods, but they did not arrive unharmed the first weekend. That’s when my job as a Coach comes in, which is precisely to get people to achieve their goals. People who have a bad relationship with food and do not follow not only the Paleo, but no diet at all.
Today, as Coach by the Brazilian Society of Coaching and Primal Health Coach, I developed a method to deal exactly with people with ties to foods that are sometimes emotional, psychological, by habit etc. There was born my book “Stop Loving What Hurts You and Slim Yourself” and my Coaching. Paleo nutritionists teach what to do and my part is to help those who can not follow the diet and achieve the goals.
So, that’s it folks. A little of the Paleo Diet with Coach Teco Mendes. Low-carb, low-calorie recipes, more tips on how coaching works and about the book sendopaleo.com. Follow our interviewee at instragram @coachtecomendes too.
I hope you enjoyed it and get excited about it too!
See the video that Teco Mendes recorded for the Blog Sports & Health!!! Too cool! Thanks Teco!
Kisses and have a good diet!!
Dani
