The Adrenal Reset Diet & The Paleo Diet
The idea behind the Adrenal Reset Diet is timing when you’re eating your Paleo foods throughout the day. It’s having good, healthy carbs and timing them in a rhythm to reset your cycles. This is based on Paleo logic: the idea of the fight or flight response, the stress response, our starvation modes and preparation for famine.
You want to have more of your healthy carbs later in the day. These carbs can be from fruit, sweet potatoes or starchy vegetables, like rutabagas, turnips or squashes. Have smaller amounts earlier in the day, and escalate them as the day goes on, having the highest quantity during your evening meal.
Be careful not to rely heavily on fruit for all your carbs. In my book, I talk about the fiber to fructose ratio. Fruit is good, but if it’s your main source of carbs, you’re going to be upside-down on fructose before you get enough fiber and good carbs. Think of eating more of the low-fructose fruit I have in my lists and in my book. Rather than focusing a lot on fruit, turn your focus to the good, starchy vegetables, and consume more of those as the day goes on.
There’s a splinter in the Paleo world about not eating carbs at all. In human history, there’s never really been a Paleo diet. Humans have thrived on such different diets. Take a look at the Tarahumara people. They’ve done well with squash, quinoa, chia seeds, beans and corn. They’ve built their diet around these foods, which are high in carbs but very low-fat. They thrive! They have 200-mile races for all ages—just for fun!
Ancestrally, humans have done well with either some carbs or no carbs. (The Inuits are a great example.) With all the diet options we have, there are ways to predict if you need more carbs than someone else, but the point is, carbs aren’t inherently bad. Research proves if you’re too low on carbs, your quality of sleep is compromised and you lose more muscle mass.
So, have some healthy carbs!
These carbs can come from vegetables. If you haven’t had intact whole grains or legumes for some time, here is a pitfall: If you eat a lot all at once, you’ll think, “Whoa! I can’t digest these!” This would be no different than a vegan friend eating a spare rib, all-you-can-eat meal, after not having animal protein for years! The reason you’ll feel you can’t digest them is because your gut flora can only digest what it’s used to. If you decide to change your diet, do it gradually. Add one tablespoon of grains or beans per day for a few weeks. This will be enough to inoculate your flora to be able to digest these foods, and you’ll feel well.
In general, the more diverse foods our flora can process, the stronger our immunity and the greater variety of nutrients we are getting.
There are many things that weren’t on the human menu until they were synthesized. Avoid these foods in your diet. You’ll do well with any food that was around 100 years ago! The more of those foods you can tolerate and have in your diet, the healthier your digestion and the better-rounded you’ll be nutritionally.
So, embrace the Paleo lifestyle. Don’t be afraid to have good carbs and to increase them later in your day. With all the wonderful health benefits you’ll experience, you’ll be glad you did.
