A lot of times people who are unfamiliar with my thoughts on nutrition ask me my opinion of the Paleo Diet.
For some reason it’s somewhat controversial in certain circles. I have no idea why.
The Paleo Diet is a great nutritional concept that just about anyone could benefit from embracing.
Eat real, whole foods, avoid anything processed and avoid grains, sugar, dairy and legumes. I have zero problem with it.
Some people get all upset about the no grains recommendation but you’ve gotta give it an honest try first.
In most cases people feel better without grains. They suffer from less inflammation and they improve their digestive health.
If you suffer from joint pain or bloating or any other mystery type ailments that you haven’t had any success improving it’s definitely worth cutting out grains for sixty days to see the difference it can make.
I’ve personally witnessed numerous friends and clients heal themselves just by making these changes. I’ve also watched stubborn friends and family members continue to go to doctors and take more drugs to alleviate their pain instead of trying this simple fix. Of course this makes me wanna head butt a tree, but that’s another story for another time.
I’m 100% down with cutting out grains as much as possible.
Except for organic, white Jasmine rice.
Unlike brown rice, white rice doesn’t contain any anti-nutrients that cause inflammation and digestive stress.
And if you’re training hard, Renegade style, you need starch to fuel those workouts and help build muscle. Veggies, fruits and healthy fats usually won’t cut it.
Sure, the yams that are allowed on a Paleo diet can get the job done, but I personally feel that white rice has to be a staple in any performance or physique based nutrition program.
As long as you’re lean and healthy. If not you need get there first and lower carbs usually helps with that.
Some people will say that brown rice has more nutrients or that you’d be better off eating quinoa or something with more nutritional value. But that’s missing the point. You’re not eating rice for that. You eat meat and veggies and some fruit
for all that good stuff.
The reason you eat white rice is simply for the glucose. You eat it to get big, strong and lean and to improve your performance. That’s it.
I don’t even mind some type of rice based powdered carb around training. Especially for skinny guys looking to gain size.
The only thing to be aware of if you start adding in buckets of Jasmine rice is that you will have to lower your fat intake a bit. You can’t eat a pack of bacon and a block of butter every day if your carbs are on the high side. So just watch the fat intake and keep it at a moderate level.
As always, carbs should be consumed around your workouts and/or at night. The reasoning for carbs around workouts is fairly obvious. The reasoning for carbs at night is it helps you sleep better, feel more alert during the day and just works better from a lifestyle/ social perspective.
So my take is that I like the Paleo diet, but I love the Paleo diet + performance carbs (Jasmine white rice).
That’s a no-fail nutrition plan for getting big, strong, and lean.
Stay #RenegadeStrong
Jay Ferruggia
PS. If you want an awesome collection of over 350 Paleo recipes click HERE now.
