Eating for Health and Vitality

The Kripalu Institute in upstate New York is a serene campus where visitors go to reboot physically and mentally, getting back on track with a healthy lifestyle.  While their programs are yoga-centric, there is a strong emphasis on the importance of proper nutrition and a considered acceptance of different paths.

Recently, they wrote about the Paleo diet and its increasing acceptance as a means of reducing disease that grains and dairy consumption might propagate. Also known as the “caveman diet”, it was populated by Loren Cordain, PhD, and based on the premise that the human body was 

designed to thrive on—and best digest—the foods available to us when we were hunter-gatherers: vegetables and fruits, meats and fish, nuts, seed, and sprouts.  Before the invention of agriculture and processed foods, we were fitter and less disease-stricken, he argues. 

Of course, most of us are already trying to cut down on processed foods if not grains specifically and many researchers argue that our ancestors were, in fact, largely vegetarians.  But the truth is the Paleo diet allows for any type of fruit or vegetable while disallowing dairy or grains, which has been found to cause inflammation, at the heart of most disease.

And Paleo needn’t be based on a diet of red meat: followers can opt for fish, eggs, and chicken. And they should, according to John Bagnulo, PhD, MPH, who teaches nutrition in Kripalu’s Healthy Living programs since red meat has been linked to cancer and heart disease. 

The key of course is becoming conscious of what you eat and realizing that diet is a significant contributor to your overall health and wellness.  E-mail us and plan on attending our upcoming Eat Right workshop on February 26^th to learn more!

Wishing you Health, Happiness, Vitality, & Longevity,

Dr David Rowe