Throwback Thursday: The Caveman Craze

Welcome back to the Daily Dumbbell, where we provide fitness advice that's scientifically proven to work. A recent analysis concluded 50% bro science, 50% llama jokes, & 50% magic. You're welcome.

Today we’re traveling to yesteryear. A time when you could pull up to the stop light and hear “Heyyyyyyyyyy sexy ladyyyyyy…”

Let’s dive in!

Throwback Thursday
The Caveman Craze

Ah the 2010s. A time when the man bun reigned supreme, “Gangnam Style” was stuck in everyone’s head, and the Paleo diet was the unrivaled superstar of the nutrition world.

Yes, friends, before Keto burst onto the scene there was a different sheriff in town. A less strict, but somehow more lecture-y sheriff. That’s right we’re taking a stroll down memory lane to the days when mammoth meat and berries were the menu du jour (metaphorically speaking).

What is the Paleo Diet?

Paleo, short for Paleolithic (the time when cavemen clubbed things for dinner), was hailed as the answer to all your dietary prayers. The concept was simple: if a caveman couldn’t eat it, neither should you. Out went grains, dairy, legumes, and processed foods. In came meat, fish, nuts, veggies, and fruits.

The diet also introduced the 80/20 rule into the cultural diet zeitgeist. Eat “clean” 80% of the time, and be more flexible 20% of the time.

The Allure:

The allure of Paleo was like the siren song for modern-day hunters and gatherers. It promised weight loss, muscle gain, and a solution to all sorts of health issues.

Mainly though, the naturalistic appeal was a strong pull. It snared us! Hey maybe we haven’t evolved to eat all these foods…

But if we’re being honest? It’s because our favorite Crossfitter’s swore by it. They were ripped and we wanted to be too.

CrossFit & Paleo: A Love Story Gone Sour

For a time, CrossFitters and Paleo were the ultimate power couple. Like Brad and Angelina in their heyday, they were inseparable. The Paleo diet was lauded for keeping CrossFitters lean and mean.

But then reality crashed the party.

CrossFit is intense, and as any CrossFitter will tell you, carbs are the jet fuel for those grueling workouts. The Paleo diet was like trying to power a Ferrari with a AA battery.

Enter Matt Fraser, the CrossFit legend. He recently told a story about how he would down Snickers bars and Coca-Cola between events, while his competitors nibbled on their perfectly Paleo, grass-fed, organic meals.

Spoiler alert: Matt Fraser won. A lot.

“Paleo-ish” was born and the fad was all but abandoned.

The Downside:

Aside from leaving you carb-depleted and flirting with exhaustion, the Paleo diet had its own set of red flags.

1. Nutrient Deficiency: Cutting out whole food groups like dairy and grains can leave you deficient in some crucial nutrients like calcium and vitamin D.

2. Not so Wallet-Friendly: Buying all that organic, grass-fed, hand-reared, sung-to-sleep meat and produce can burn a hole in your pocket.

3. Disordered Eating: Whenever you have a black and white idea of food where some foods are good and others are bad and make you sick… well let’s just say that isn’t a recipe for success.

The Takeaway:

Like many a Hollywood romance, the love affair between the Paleo diet and the fitness community had its time in the sun. But the cracks showed, and the break-up was inevitable.

The truth is, one-size-fits-all diets will always come and go. A Savvy marketer will jump on the fad and take it to the next level, everyone will try it, 90% won’t succeed and we’ll all be back to square one.

A balanced approach, with a mix of all the macronutrients, tailored to your specific needs and goals, is the not-so-secret formula. But it’s harder to write a book about that one.

So, let the cavemen have their diet. We’ve evolved, and so should our approach to nutrition. 

That’s Not Good Thursday

Ah yes, nothing smells better than the meat sweats.

Start eating meat and stop brushing your teeth. Big yikes.

We hope you enjoyed today’s abridged version of the Daily Dumbbell! Come back tomorrow for the best articles, tweets, and other gems we found online over the past week!

Have an excellent Thursday.