This question came from Derek:
“With a lot of my recent interests, Ive learned about paleo and I found my way to your site, perhaps your site is a few levels up from me since i have barely started, but my interest is becoming more pure and spiritual, and eating all the crap our stores and restaurants give us is obviously a big source of the taint.
One of the posters on a forum who seemed pretty hardcore into this stuff suggested the Paleo diet because it is how people were meant to eat before civilization got in its current state. But his thing that just couldnt gel with me is that we should eat raw meat, mainly because the natural oils are useful in preventing a lot diseases and such, he was actually into the whole killing your own animals so you can appreciate life and such, which is more the spiritual part which has nothing to do with your website. Anyway wanted to know your opinion on the raw meat.”
Thanks again for the question, Derek!
ttys
Adam
Love love LOVE this. Gives me a whole ‘nother reason to eat happy animals (as if I needed more!)
Wow, thanks, Kristin! Wasn’t sure how the whole “spirituality” thing would fly. Glad you liked it!
Adam
Oh thank you so much for the spirituality angle. I came to paleo as a former ethical vegetarian who realized she needed animal proteins. Eating happy, local animals from people and farmers I know and trust is an important part of my budding paleo life, indeed. Sometimes I feel alone in this, but I’m glad to see/hear that I’m not! Hooray!
Also I think there is some spiritual benefit to keeping one’s body as healthy as possible- it’s a gift and a temple and i think keeping it in as great condition as I can is truly a part of my overarching spirituality.
Completely agree, Rachel! Thanks a lot for the comment!
Adam
Well said Adam. I am a firm believer the foods we put into our body is very much connected to our spirituality.
Thanks, Donna!
Picking up on a thread of your spiritual discussion, paleo speaks to me a little differently, sort of in fighting back against the machine, defying the mass media, all the commands and dogma of what is supposed to be healthy. Despite the fact that the rest of my life is as mainstream as they come, I have this longstanding and strong dislike for the mass media, advertising, etc., and going paleo makes a lot of sense to me, makes me feel like I have more control than I ever did before. In short it empowers me, gives me strength to resist all that is going around us, allowing my body and mind to re-focus on making my own food, making solid choices, and so forth. I really think that the fact that this “makes sense” to me has been a big part of my success on paleo to date. For years I was forever doubting what I was doing for training and nutrition, and that lack of conviction I think helped contribute to backsliding. Now as I am seeing results and feeling great and sleeping great, it makes sense to me why and how this is happening, and I have a much better understanding of why it is working, why my skin is more clear, etc. So I keep doing it!
Keep these sorts of spiritual posts coming!
I agree 100% Paul! I think “the machine” has a vested interest in having us eat crap and remain sick. Big Pharma certainly profits from it and so do a lot of other institutions. Check out “The Warrior Diet” by Ori Hoffmekler. He makes a case for society wanting citizens to be “caged” (i.e. working in cubicles), fed regularly (fat and not able to hunt) and fed lower quality food (processed crap and sugar as opposed to hunting and killing meat). Society really doesn’t want a bunch of strong, sharp, independent thinking hunters running around causing trouble!
Adam