What Kind of Carbs Can I Eat if I'm Living the Paleo Lifestyle?

What Kind of Carbs Can I Eat if I'm Living the Paleo Lifestyle?

The paleo diet is often associated with low carbs and a heavy met consumption. This does not necessarily hold true. Unlike the Atkins diet, the paleo diet is not focused on reducing carbohydrates. It is more about inclusion and exclusion of foods.

It is recommended that you only consume foods that are allowed on the paleo diet and avoid foods such as processed foods, grains, dairy, sugar, artificial additives, etc. Just by eliminating these foods or foods that contain these ingredients wipes out a whole bunch of choices that we have.

The average person consumes a daily diet that has almost all these forbidden ingredients. If you can’t eat grains, that means, rice, bread, pastas, cakes, etc. are all not allowed. Of course, your carb intake will drop significantly.

Now that most of the “normal” carbs are not a part of your diet, you have a small list of carb choices that you can choose from. Even these carbs are not as starchy. So, it will be really difficult to get fat with the paleo diet.

Some sources of dense carbs that are allowed in the paleo diet are taro root, plantains, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, parsnips, yams, lotus roots, beets, carrots, pumpkins, onions, squash, rutabaga and a few more.

Even with carbs, there is a grey area. Bananas and potatoes are generally not recommended. Frankly, if you think that you need the carbs, then by all means, eat these. The rules are not set in stone. Eating bananas is no way as harmful as finishing up a tub of ice-cream. So, some leeway can’t hurt.

Generally, most people who start on the paleo diet, just want to lose weight, get in shape and become healthier. As long as they cut out the foods on the “no-no” list, they will achieve all their goals. There is no need to split hairs about the level of starch in the different vegetables.

Taking things to the extreme is never beneficial. The paleo diet is meant to help you. You are not supposed to feel enslaved to the diet. Stay true to the core concepts such as eating wholesome foods and avoiding the junk. That’s really all there is to it.

You might be wondering how much of your diet should be comprised of carbs. 20% would be a reasonable estimate. If you are an athlete who engages in endurance training or high-intensity training, you may increase your carb intake.

There are a few instances where people may wish to cut out all carbs and opt for a ketogenic diet which is high in fats. This technique is usually employed by bodybuilders so that the body burns any remaining fat stores. This will reduce their bodyfat percentage further into the single digits. They will be ripped and in shape for competition.

The average layman has no such concerns. So, you do not need to be overly concerned about your carb choices. Just stick to the list and eat in moderation. As long as you avoid rice, bread, pastas and grain based carbs, your carb consumption will not lead to massive weight gain or spiked insulin levels.

That pretty much says everything that you need to know about the paleo diet and carbs in a nutshell. If you wish to delve into the matter more deeply, you should grab the paleo book "Living Life the Paleo Way" and immerse yourself in it.

Eric Dempsey

MS, NASM Fitness Nutrition Specialist

Dempseys Resolution Fitness

For 

The Chaplain Paul Voorhees Ministry