Lesson 1: Why Eat A Low-Carb Diet
This lesson answers two questions: 1) Why should we all eat the low-carb way?, and 2) Why don't governmental recommendations prescribe a low-carb diet?
Introduction
Right up front, I want to clarify that the low-carb diet I will present in this course is not to be confused with the fad, low-carb diets that promote artificial foods and restrict healthy carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables. The diet I will present is the diet of our pre-agricultural ancestors. (Did you know that only five hundred generations ago, everyone ate a low-carb diet?) The diet that we will discuss is also referred to as the paleolithic (or paleo) diet, the stone age diet, the hunter-gather diet, and the caveman diet.
With that out of the way, let’s move on to why you, and all of us, should eat a low-carbohydrate diet. The simple answer to the question of why we all should eat the low-carb way, is because it’s the way our species has evolved to eat, and for this reason, it’s the healthiest and most appropriate choice. Our natural, original diet is an ally to our health and fitness. It’s the only diet that supports optimal health and wellness.
Why then, you might ask, don’t governmental recommendations (Food Guide Pyramid) prescribe a low-carb diet if it is the healthiest choice? The answer to this question is complicated by several factors which I will discuss later in the course, but I’ll give you two clues–population and economics. I’ll also offer information from nutritional authorities who do recommend our original low-carb diet. I highly recommend The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, Ph.D., which I will refer to throughout this course.
