"I eat a Paleo diet, and I'm sick of being paid out for it."

August 24, 2015

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Hi, my name is Elizabeth and I have a problem: I eat a Paleo diet.

Just writing these words sends me into a deep spiral of shame and self-disgust.

I started Paleo before Paleo was cool; before there was such a word, or at least one I had ever heard of. This makes me the most pretentious, if not authentic, hipster around, doesn’t it?

Now, contrary to popular belief, I did not wake up one day and think to myself that it would be a good and really trendy idea to eat like a caveman. After years of not feeling right, I went to the doctor and they told me to cut grains from my diet to see if this helped.

While I felt better, it wasn’t some miraculous overnight cure, so over the next year they recommended I go off dairy and then processed sugar as well. Just over a year ago, I went to a different doctor for something unrelated and they told me I was allergic to coffee, which means I am now off that as well. I know, major sad face.

The result: I officially eat Paleo ? or live a Paleo lifestyle, as the hardcore ‘alternatives’ among us would say. (Post continues after gallery.)

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This all started in 2010, just before I moved to an outback town in Western Australian where it was pretty much impossible to get gluten free bread at the supermarket let alone a grain, dairy and sugar-free brownie.

So, in one respect, I love that Paleo is now a buzzwords; that sugar-free, dairy-free and gluten-free are labelled on food packets and menus; that I can sum up my diet in one word instead of a complicated discussion of what I can and can’t eat. It makes my life a hell of a lot easier.

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But Pete Evans and his vocal opponents have sent me into hiding. I never used to tell people that I didn’t eat like them; I don’t particularly like talking about it and there is nothing I hate more than putting people out by making them cater especially for me.

If anyone noticed, I used to say I followed a restricted diet due to health issues and leave it at that. (Post continues after video.)

Now, I actively pretend to be ‘normal’ and it makes me feel like I have an eating disorder.

Binge eating before I go out, so I will be happy with just a plate of vegetables at the Chinese restaurant; sucking it up and eating something that I shouldn’t and dealing with the pain later; carrying around food in my handbag; making my own birthday cake from sweet potatoes and cacao, hoping it will pass as unhealthy to the untrained palate… this is what Pete has reduced me to.

People used to have a curious line of questions for me. “Yes, rice is gluten free but I still can’t eat it”; “No, I don’t really miss chocolate”; “Yes, I do miss really fresh, crusty bread with butter”; “Yes, I have occasionally fallen off the wagon and no, it’s not worth it”; and “Yes, it’s fine, please don’t apologise for eating something in front of me that I can’t”.

Now, when people find out, they are actively hostile and use facts gleaned from media headlines against me. 'You know we have evolved past that, right? Didn’t cavemen have an average life expectancy of, like, 27? I read that scientists have discovered carbohydrates are actually needed for brain function'.

Here's what I want everyone to know: Paleo didn’t miraculously cure my health issues, but it definitely helped and it does make them more manageable.

I do not eat Paleo to lose weight or to live some alternate hipster lifestyle. So don’t look at me like I'm lying about eating this way to be 'cool' and secretly scoff down a tub of ice-cream every night.

Lastly, I am definitely not judging you for eating normally. Eating this way is hard enough — please don’t judge me for it as well.

Do you eat a Paleo diet? Have you ever been unfairly judged for it?

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BreadKATIE THOMSITT, Dieticians Australia spokesperson says: "Lots of people shy away from bread to achieve weight loss. But bread is such an important source of fibre, and plays such a helpful role in weight loss and preventing bowel cancer. A couple of slices of a dark, seedy bread per day is absolutely fine."

CheeseKATIE SAYS: "Cheese is definitely a higher fat source of dairy, but still a good dairy fat. Choose low-fat options if you have it regularly, otherwise consume it in moderation. One serve of dairy is 30g, so a couple of slices is absolutely fine."

ChocolateKARA LANDAU, The Travelling Dietician says: "Studies have been able to show that dark chocolate can improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood pressure in healthy individuals, protect against heart disease, and improve HDL good cholesterol (not a bad start for such a tasty food!). Dark chocolate also contains polyphenols, whilst white chocolate does not. These polyphenolic compounds are able to relax blood vessels allowing for better blood circulation, and thereby assisting with the maintenance of healthy blood pressure levels."

CoffeeKATIE SAYS: "Coffee is a really good snack, in particular if its milk-based to get the dairy in - for example, a skim latte. As long as its in moderation - daily guidelines say a maximum of three per day! And you want lots of water on top of that."

EggsKARA SAYS: "Yes, even the yolks are good for you! Healthy fat soluble vitamins, as well as half the protein found in an egg, are all found in the yolk!"

Avocado KATIE SAYS: "Avocado is a healthy fat. Lots of people think its high-fat and not good for you, but its rich in mono unsaturated fats, which give you protection against heart disease. It also helps with controlling lower cholesterol levels."

nutsKATIE SAYS: "Nuts fall into the same category as avocado - they have lots of healthy oils and fibre."

dairyKARA SAYS: "Often milk and yoghurts are fortified with Vitamin D (a fat soluble vitamin) which requires a small amount of fat to be present in order for the body to absorb it, therefore having the full fat variety can be of value to enhance the nutritional benefits from the products' consumption. The fat in the dairy also aids with satiety, which could prevent unhealthy snacking at a later point in the day."

PotatoKATIE SAYS: "Potato always gets a bad rap as a starchy vegetable, but it's an excellent source of fibre. Sweet potato in particular is great for weight management and sugar level control. Potatoes are also really rich in potassium."

Red meatKARA SAYS: People tend to restrict red meat unnecessarily, thinking that its high in saturated fat. "But lean red meat is high in protein, CLA (which has been found to be associated with lower body fat percentages), B12, iron and zinc. These are all nutrients we want to get into our body!"

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