would you date someone who lives a paleo lifestyle?

[whirl3daway]

Would you try to tell your partner what they could and couldn't eat?

 

tell them what they can't eat? no way. my partner is welcome to do whatever he wants. but when I cook (and cooking is a skill of mine), I cook low carb, so if he wants to eat what I make... then he's going to sometimes follow my diet, hah. generally what I make is pretty "man-friendly" though - steaks, roasts, casseroles, meatloaf etc.

 

I do like to talk about it though - it's one of my big passions in life so like anything one is passionate about, I like to discuss it. not in a "OMG U ATE THAT BREAD, WHY, U BAD PERSON!" kinda way.

[regine_phalange]

No, I wouldnt have any issues with it, it doesnt sound bad at all for an adult. But maybe I would add a small portion of grains for me as I digest whole grains well, and I dont have any intolerances to them.

 

If I had kids Id feed them everything homemade and healthy, grains involved, preferably whole. Id want to make sure they have proper energy levels and their growing up process will not be impacted. Id also let them eat something "less good" now and then (with schedule) if they asked too much, in order for them not to feel jealous of other kids, or deprived.

[Emilia]

I'm not sure. Generally I don't tend to like guys that are into fad diets. I prefer a more common sense approach rather than buying into the latest idea without thinking it through. I went out with a vegetarian once who wore leather shoes, had a leather wallet, etc and got upset when I pointed out the anomaly (he was a veggie for ethical reasons).

 

So probably wouldn't date someone that got caught up in a hype, no.

[iris219]

If a man told me he would dictate what our children ate and I'd have no say in it, I wouldn't date him.

 

Otherwise, I wouldn't mind much as long as he cooked his own food and didn't expect me to change my cooking or eating habits.

[whirl3daway]

If a man told me he would dictate what our children ate and I'd have no say in it, I wouldn't date him.

 

yeah, I think that's probably a big issue for some people. and for me, I wouldn't be able to date someone who would be okay with feeding our kids things like mac & cheese, PB&J sandwiches, chicken nuggets, fast food, cookies or pasta on a regular basis. it actually makes me feel a little sick that this is what's considered normal food for kids O_o

[iris219]

yeah, I think that's probably a big issue for some people. and for me, I wouldn't be able to date someone who would be okay with feeding our kids things like mac & cheese, PB&J sandwiches, chicken nuggets, fast food, cookies or pasta on a regular basis. it actually makes me feel a little sick that this is what's considered normal food for kids O_o

 

There's a huge gap between feeding children junk food and feeding them an entirely paleo diet.

 

Personally, I plan to teach my children how cruel the slaughter industry is and let them decide when they're old enough if eating meat is worth it. There's no reason why a child shouldn't occasionally have a vegetarian meal and there would be arguments if my partner was against this.

[bubbaganoosh]

I make excellent low carb lasagna!

 

 

I make excellent high carb lasagna. Although at my age I'm told " Ooooo watch what you eat" My answer? I'm 66 and I got this far with what I eat now either grab a plate and a fork or get out of my way.

[hasaquestion]

I'm not sure. Generally I don't tend to like guys that are into fad diets. I prefer a more common sense approach rather than buying into the latest idea without thinking it through. I went out with a vegetarian once who wore leather shoes, had a leather wallet, etc and got upset when I pointed out the anomaly (he was a veggie for ethical reasons).

 

So probably wouldn't date someone that got caught up in a hype, no.

 

Yeah, diets characterized by absolutes to me suggest inability to handle moderation. I don't like that. I'd prefer that someone eats well as a matter of habit and nothing else.

 

There's a huge gap between feeding children junk food and feeding them an entirely paleo diet.

 

Personally, I plan to teach my children how cruel the slaughter industry is and let them decide when they're old enough if eating meat is worth it. There's no reason why a child shouldn't occasionally have a vegetarian meal and there would be arguments if my partner was against this.

 

I end up with cultural vegetarians a lot. Not sure how I'd handle marrying into a meatless environment. Meat is an important part of my life.

[iris219]

 

I end up with cultural vegetarians a lot. Not sure how I'd handle marrying into a meatless environment. Meat is an important part of my life.

 

My partner can buy, cook, and eat whatever they want, whenever they want; I don't require a "meatless environment."

[whirl3daway]

I end up with cultural vegetarians a lot.

 

what's a cultural vegetarian? like, someone who grew up in a place where being a vegetarian is the norm? like south indians?

[Babolat]

note: I'm not trying to start a debate about if paleo/low carb is healthy or not.

 

this is something that's pretty important to me, as I firmly believe in the benefits of living a "paleo" lifestyle in terms of diet. I eat a lot of eggs, bacon, various vegetables, chicken, fish, meat, healthy fats. I cook most of my meals but sometimes eat salads/steaks etc out. I have no problem finding things to eat while out.

 

ie yesterday:

breakfast: low carb vanilla protein shake w/ almond milk + splash of heavy cream.

lunch: leftover taco meat, avocado, dollop of creme fraiche and sprinkle of cheese.

dinner: low-carb shepherd's pie made w/ ground beef, green beans, cauliflower, cheese, onions, coconut oil.

 

this is something I expect to follow for the rest of my life and would like to feed my children this way as well.

 

this is something you would be freaked out by, out in the wild?

I am not freaked out at all (man here). Your diet, is well your diet. The fact that you pay close attention to your diet, your health, for me is a turn on/is attractive.

 

I will add, as long as you do not expect me to conform to your diet, rather educate me and let me decide, it's okay with me.

[Babolat]

I would never date a vegetarian. It just wouldn't work. I wouldn't force anything on anyone, but if you want to eat my cooking, you're gonna be eating a lot of meat and veggies haha. I'm not super zealous about it ("YOU'RE GONNA DIE IF YOU EAT THAT COOKIE!") but I am passionate about it. I believe strongly in the effect that insulin has on the human body, and how carbohydrates effect insulin levels. Also, bacon.

 

Well, it can work, it depends on the person in my opinion. Like any other lifestyle you are passioante about. I am very fit and athletic and use to think I wanted the same in a life partner. It's a nice to have though I am not looking for a workout buddy. Caring about your health, taking care of yourself, that means more to me now.

 

A lot of my good friends are vegans, veggies, whatever flavor you want to label them. I have noticed I have adjusted my diet more, without even thinking about it because of what I see in them.

 

They don't preach about it, force it on me or really even talk about it. Their example has educated me.

[Babolat]

Unless you're a trained pediatrician MD or nutrititionist I would keep any children out of the lifestyle. Their needs are different from adults and they don't know any better, so they could be harmed. They can make up their own minds when they're grown up.

 

Well said. There is tons of research that supports a growing childs body needs different stuff than an adults body does.

[Babolat]

I didn't want to get into this but the reason why I follow this diet is because I believe the human system has not evolved to ingest the massive amounts of refined sugar and carbohydrates that we throw into it every day. The wheat that we have now is a totally different creature than we had back when agriculture was invented (only 10K years ago). There is a protein in gluten that speeds up our appetite (because of the effect it has on our opiate receptors) - AKA the more wheat/gluten products you eat (and gluten is in basically everything these days), the more you're gonna want to eat.

 

The human body is currently designed to work optimally on a hunter/gatherer diet... not because it's better, but because that's what we had to work with for hundreds of thousands of years prior to agriculture. The science behind this is valid - ALL carbs break down into sugar in your body, and sugar makes you produce insulin in order to digest it. Insulin is what makes our cells retain fat. Basically... you eat a ton of carbs, you put on fat. It's well documented science, not just some "fad" as the media likes to put it. Our bodies are MEANT to work like this because you want some fat on your body during times of food shortage. But we don't HAVE food shortages anymore (in western society).

 

(if you want to read more about this, feel free to check out "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes).

 

We just have not had enough time to evolve into eating the way we do. There is a reason why overwhelming obesity exists these days... and it's not JUST because people are lazier, although that's definitely part of it. There is a huge hormonal and food scarcity issue at play here... why are the poorest populations the biggest in our society? Because the cheapest foods are carbohydrates (sugars, chips, pop, etc).

 

So when it comes to my children... I certainly won't shield them from the fact that cakes/chocolate exist, but I will try to encourage them to view them as I do: as a very seldom eaten treat. Nothing is off-limits because of the attitudes towards food that produces, but I don't eat these things very often and my life is JUST FINE without them. When I do want these things, I make versions with almond flour, etc.

 

Anyway... that's the argument I wanted to avoid, so I'm sorry! I've basically spent hours upon hours researching these things and this is the conclusion I've come to. I used to be really against this lifestyle because I didn't understand it, but I've seen enough science and studies and lectures and read enough books to truly believe in it now.

 

Agred, 100%. I eat organic when I can (availability) and I eat as close to raw when I can. Heck, if there is still a little dirty on my veggies all the better!

 

Another great read on this topic (not paleo). processed foods, raw foods and the like, is "Never Be Sick Again". By the time food gets to the grocery store, and then to our plate, it's lost sometimes over 80% of it's original nutritional value.

 

I, without even paying attention, unintentionally, cut out almost all carbs in my diet 3+ years ago and started eating more raw veggies and fruits. I lost almost 20lbs, without trying. Now I have to eat more just to keep weight on.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Babolat

[Valen]

I wouldn't call it a paleo "lifestyle" if you didn't gather your ingredients from the wild and cooked them in the fire. If a girl can hunt for her own meat, I think that's pretty cool.

[whirl3daway]

I wouldn't call it a paleo "lifestyle" if you didn't gather your ingredients from the wild and cooked them in the fire. If a girl can hunt for her own meat, I think that's pretty cool.

 

yeah, like I said, I hate the name.

[Imajerk17]

"Would I date someone who lives a paleo lifestyle?"" Answer: Hey whirl3daway how YOU doin??

 

So, yes for myself. A girl who takes care of herself and is into fitness is hot. That said, I do CrossFit myself but try to eat clean, but I am not quite "Paleo".

 

However, one thing you might want to consider is that most guys just won't know where to take you on a first date (and dates thereafter) due to that. Grains are everywhere! Even in foods that you wouldn't think that have them. So you might want to help them out when it comes to planning, ect.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Imajerk17

[Babolat]

However, one thing you might want to consider is that most guys just won't know where to take you on a first date (and dates thereafter) due to that. Grains are everywhere! Even in foods that you wouldn't think that have them. So you might want to help them out when it comes to planning, ect.

 

Great point. My female best friend is a veggie (I don't know all the various levels of being vegetarian, so I call her a veggie). When I pick a place for us to meet for dinner I always check with her to make sure it's Okay. What I have found is that she always finds "something" on the menu, or, what I have seen a lot recently, is good restaurants will make you "something" if it's not on the menu. I'm amazed how accomodating a good restaurant will be to folks who are veggies or <insert different eating lifestyle here>

 

OP, I agree with this, but maybe not so much for the first few dates. In fact, maybe keep the first few dates non food/eating dates so your date is not freaking out. We have enough to worry about to pick the perfect date!

[whirl3daway]

OP, I agree with this, but maybe not so much for the first few dates. In fact, maybe keep the first few dates non food/eating dates so your date is not freaking out. We have enough to worry about to pick the perfect date!

 

This is kind of a different topic, but I generally like picking the place for the first date! And it usually includes drinks and pool.

 

Also, all I really need is a steak/veggie, or a salad. Not too bad!

[pickflicker]

The need to discuss the diet and send articles for me to read, would drive me nuts, though. I never talk about my vegetarianism. I don't even tell people I'm dating until they ask, or we get to "home-cooked meal" stage. Half my friends didn't know until they worked out that I always ordered the vego option at the pub with we play trivia at. The need to constantly discuss it, is like people discussing their obsession with the gym - it makes me want to drive my fork into my eye.

[Babolat]

but I generally like picking the place for the first date! And it usually includes drinks and pool. !

Makes note to self.....

[whirl3daway]

The need to discuss the diet and send articles for me to read, would drive me nuts, though. I never talk about my vegetarianism. I don't even tell people I'm dating until they ask, or we get to "home-cooked meal" stage. Half my friends didn't know until they worked out that I always ordered the vego option at the pub with we play trivia at. The need to constantly discuss it, is like people discussing their obsession with the gym - it makes me want to drive my fork into my eye.

 

hah! I totally get that. it's just something that I'm passionate about. I'm one of those weirdos that really likes researching things and talking about them.

[pickflicker]

hah! I totally get that. it's just something that I'm passionate about. I'm one of those weirdos that really likes researching things and talking about them.

 

Oh, me too. I'm studying psych right now and love it! I just find talking about diet and health to be so boring. I have a GP to chat to about all of that, I'd rather talk about other things with a date!

[lollipopspot]

(if you want to read more about this, feel free to check out "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes).

 

I've actually read that book, because the title is compelling. I thought the first part of it was interesting, and then it spiraled into a lot of conjecture.

 

Thin Body of Evidence: Why I Have Doubts about Gary Taubes?s Why We Get Fat | Cross-Check, Scientific American Blog Network

 

I think that no one has all the answers about what's the "best" diet for humans, that as omnivores humans can thrive on different types of diets, and that complex carbohydrates are not the enemy. Most civilizations have thrived on starch based diets.

 

Paleo diets also don't rank well in health reviews, for whatever that's worth. Even veganism ranked higher.

Paleo diet ranks last on 'best diets' list - CNN.com

Paleo Diet -- What You Need to Know -- US News Best Diets

 

And here Scientific American claims that human ancestors were nearly all vegetarians:

Human Ancestors Were Nearly All Vegetarians | Guest Blog, Scientific American Blog Network

[whirl3daway]

blah blah blah I wrote a lot of nonsense justifying my decision to be low carb here but that's not necessary. this is how I live my life and that's what I believe in - I'm not here to debate that.

Edited April 2, 2014 by whirl3daway