It is pretty simple, but it may not seem that way. The short answer is that Paleo tends to increase adrenal activity (increased glucocorticoid production as well as catecholamines – like epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine – the same chemicals released when taking amphetamines/stimulants or during stress), due to increased consumption of animal protein and fat and decreased consumption of carbohydrates – and because a whole foods diet spontaneously decreases calorie consumption (and absorption) for most people – putting their bodies into a catabolic state (high adrenal state).
The common practices of intermittent fasting and exercise magnifies this effect. This leads to some very powerful and noticeable physiological, mental, and emotional changes – from
effortless weight loss and a decrease in inflammation to incredible mood and energy enhancement. At least for a while (the “catecholamine honeymoon” I call it), usually about 6
months, but this honeymoon period can fail to be triggered completely in those with weak adrenal glands, or it can go on for quite some time in those with energizer bunny adrenals.
Nothing is 100% set in stone either. It’s not like everyone experiences an increase in catecholamines on a paleo diet breakfasts recipes. If it is high enough in calories and carbs, it might be fine.
Others with impaired glucose metabolism who are used to having big stress hormone surges throughout the day during hypoglycemic episodes, see a decrease in adrenal activity and maybe
even a drop in glucocorticoid production (don’t get too shortsighted on me here though – just because one can “control” erratic blood sugar on a high-protein diet doesn’t make this the
optimal solution – which would be to fix the impaired glucose metabolism). A Paleo diet might even stop catabolism (breaking down), and trigger impressive, spontaneous growth of muscle tissue and bone in such a scenario. So it does depend, to some extent, on context and the individual in which the Paleo diet is interacting with.
Individual differences aside, here’s an attempt to sort of simplify how things play out in a typical case of someone who needs to drop Paleo like a bad habit. As you will see, the
amazing short-term improvements make Paleo incredibly alluring, and are what keep many people frustratingly tinkering around with various permutations of the Paleo diet – often going
lower and lower in carbs, until he or she is totally metabolically fucked (TMF). Please excuse the complex medical terminology.
Before we start, let’s examine my own personal experience with eating a diet that shared many commonalities with a typical paleo breakfast ideas and lifestyle.
Me and My Good Paleo
In 2007 I began researching and writing about the virtues of ancestral diets, animal products, and diets in which fat contributed to a larger percentage of dietary calories ingested – in the meantime becoming increasingly down on modern food processing and many commercial agricultural staples. Although I wasn’t completely dairy and grain-free during this time, my
intake of such foods aside from butter and an occasional slice or two of sprouted bread was very minimal. My typical carbohydrate intake was about 100-150 grams per day – smack in
the middle of Mark Sisson’s optimal carbohydrate safe zone. My food quality was second to none. I obtained almost everything I ate from local farms – grassfed and pastured everything.
Even some biodynamics in there. One summer I managed to go 3 months without even buying anything at a grocery store except a jar of coconut oil. Everything came exclusively from local
farms and farmer’s markets.
In a matter of days I was waking up at dawn with tons of energy for the first time in my life. My skin got crystal clear. My teeth started feeling strong, with less pain and sensitivity – and they got whiter – even though I wasn’t brushing my teeth every day like I had my entire life prior to that point. I had always had a major sugar addiction, or so it felt like. I could never have sugary foods in the house without plowing through them all until they were gone in a frenzy – regardless of the quantity. At one point I had even gone through a phase of eating handfuls of Halloween candy every day with an entire chocolate bar – so much chocolate in fact, that I had to start ordering it in bulk!
But the most amazing thing happened. I opened up my cabinets on the 4th day and saw two chocolate bars sitting on the shelves that I had completely forgotten about. I took a few bites
and lost interest. I found them once again several weeks later, with the opened bar looking white and crumbly from having gotten somewhat stale. This was the first time this has ever
happened in my life. I was totally free, from the beginning, from hunger, cravings, desires for alcohol, stimulants, or sweets, etc. It was a totally mind-blowing experience.
In the first couple of months, my mood was incredible. I had always had a very dynamic mood, swinging from great highs to great lows – especially after my first “healthy” eating
endeavors with Donna Gates’s Body Ecology Diet and a series of “cleanses” inspired primarily by Kevin Trudeau – leaving me weak, undermuscled, and depleted with harder to manage mood fluctuations. Working many years as a Wilderness Ranger was no help either – as each grueling season seemed to strip off a small layer of muscle, particularly in the upper
body, and replace it with a small extra layer of cushion.
But this new dietary change eliminated that completely. No more roller coaster ride. Just rock solid – even keel and focused. It seemed nothing could throw that off course. It was fantastic.
And then there was my body. I wasn’t doing this for any improvement in body composition. I mean, if I was looking to gain some muscle I probably would have been lifting weights – doing more than an occasional round of pushups and situps, going on walks, and snorkeling. But I wasn’t. Yet, my shirts (t-shirts mostly, my wardrobe is on par with Beavis and Butthead’s) kept getting tighter and tighter, especially in the chest, shoulders, and sleeves. My pants and shorts were practically sliding off of me though, and I was not dating anyone at the time, so it had to have been what I was eating.
What else? My asthma improved. Crazy erections in the beginning that kept me awake at night sometimes. I had no gas, bloating, or stomach pain for the first time in my life. I think I farted about 3 times in the first 6 months. Flawless. I did work another season as a Wilderness Ranger too, and I lost no muscle mass for the first time ever, but became stupidly ripped, with a full 6-pack without doing a single situp.
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