When I talk to people about the Paleo diet, especially those who are Paleo-naive, I almost always hear the same questions or comments. My favorite comment when I explain to people that Paleo is uniquely a gluten-free diet is, "Oh, so like the Atkins diet...No carbs..."
GAAHHH!! Why do people think the only source of carbohydrates is bread and pasta?! Paleo does NOT equal "no carbs". In fact, it is the complete opposite. Your brain and body absolutely, positively depends on carbs to function and train hard everyday. And just like everything else in Paleo, it is the QUALITY of the carb that matters most.
First of all, what is a carb? In the simplest form, all carbs break down to three elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen (CHO). Your brain needs glucose to survive, and your body will do almost anything to ensure a constant supply of glucose to the brain (if its not available, it will change other substances -protein and fats - into glucose). And a constant, high breakdown of fat can cause other issues - more on this later.
Conversely, nothing is ever good in excess, so an excess of glucose will have the opposite outcome - turn to fat. Its always a balance, people.
As you take simple carbohydrate molecules (glucose, fructose, etc.) and link them together into chains/branches you get more complex carbs (lactose, sucrose/table sugar, starch, etc.). If you nerds want a more detailed chemical breakdown of carbs, check out this site. Remember, too, not all combinations of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are good for your body. Stay away especially from artificial sweeteners, aspartame (Equal), Splenda, SweetnLow, etc. which have been linked to neurotoxicity and cancer.
As a general rule, aim to eat about 50 - 100 gm of carbs per day. 100 gm if you are doing more intense activity that day...or if it's really F'ing hot out.
Here are some great examples:
SWEET POTATOES, SQUASH (Summer: zucchini, yellow; Winter: acorn, butternut), MUSHROOMS (All types), BEETS, PARSNIPS, CARROTS, CELERY ROOT, JICAMA, PLANTAINS, TARO ROOT.
If you're not sure how many grams of carbs your produce contains, and you're curious to know how much is 50-100 gms, look it up at this site: NUTRITION DATA
I also love this iphone app when I'm out and about to look up nutrition data: myfitnesspal
I didn't include greens on the above list because, although they do contain some carbs, it is not as significant as some of the above produce, and we like greens more for their vitamins, minerals, and fiber. You can consume greens in UNLIMITED amounts...so think of them as FREEBIES!!! Everyone loves free shit!
Examples of greens: SWISS CHARD, SPINACH, KALE, BOK CHOY, COLLARDS, LETTUCE (prefer green leaf; iceberg is not nutrition dense and mostly water).
A word on RICE....
Does rice contain gluten? The answer is NO.
And if there is one downfall I have from my Filipino roots...its fresh, white, sticky, asian rice. Mmmmm.....
So why is rice not apart of the Paleo diet? The best answer I can give you is rice is not a quality carb - meaning it contains empty calories (And it doesn't go with the theme of avoiding foods that can't be hunted and gathered...but that's besides the point). "Empty calories" pretty much means the food has calories, and nothing else - no vitamins, no minerals, nothing - except spikes your insulin level up way to fast. You're pretty much wasting your precious f'ing time (and time IS precious!). And if you're serious about your training, losing weight and gaining muscle: Its-just-not-worth-it.
Still not convinced?
Let's compare the nutrition label of 1 cup of rice to 1 cup of sweet potato. About the same number of carbs, but the nutritional value alone (vitamins, minerals) are vastly different. Rice pretty much has none. Brown rice is not much better (however, brown rice doesn't spike up your insulin level as fast).
So will it kill you to have a little rice, or some sushi, every now and then? Absolutely not. But be weary of adding this food as a staple to your diet - there are definitely much better carb options.
The same can be said about CORN. Not worth it.
So with all that being said....how the hell do I gather, prepare, and cook all these damn carbs? Below are a plethora of websites with tons of creative recipes. Not all sites are Paleo specific, so still be mindful of omitting things that are not part of the paleo diet, but there are some great ideas to preparing healthy carbs for each meal:
Health Bent
Elanas Pantry
The Clothes Make the Girl
Nom Nom Paleo
Primal Palate
EASY PREP: Now if you're in constant robot-mode, like me, most of the time I need things fast and simple. *Snap, snap, snap!!* Sometime I just don't have the time to wait for squash and potatoes to roast an hour in the oven. Luckily, these things hold up pretty well in the fridge for a few days after cooking them, so I can prepare a bunch ahead of time - like Sunday night. Otherwise, if I need something quick, and it can't be sauteed, you can chop it up (sweet potatoes, beets, or squash), stab it a few times with a fork, put it in a microwave safe dish (glass, ceramic), and microwave it for 4-5 minutes.
Plantains are great, especially in the morning when I want something a little sweeter, but don't taste very good raw (they are not bananas people). Put a little oil in a pan, slice into coins, and saute until golden brown on each side. Place on a paper towel.
Most other greens and carbs can be sauteed in a little bit of oil in a pan for 5-10 minutes until soft enough to eat.
Remember, homies...its all about BALANCE and QUALITY. And, I have to say it, you [really] are what you eat. Food is just a chemical combo of molecules and elements our body rips apart and uses to grow muscle, supply energy, think clearly - so stop clogging your body with shitty carbs and supply your body with what it really needs: Great. Quality. Food.
