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Doug Sparks isn't a caveman. He just eats like one.
No refined sugar. No dairy products. No wheat. No beans or legumes, including peanuts. No white potatoes. No fried food. No beer (though red wine and tequila are allowed).
It is called the Paleo (as in Paleolithic) Diet. It is a lifestyle that harkens back to a prehistoric time.
The concept: Man should only eat that which comes naturally from the Earth -- meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and natural oils, such as olive and coconut oil, because the human digestive system has not evolved to be able to digest dairy and processed foods.
In other words, the human stomach is still like that of the caveman.
It is a movement becoming increasingly popular throughout Greater Lowell, particularly among those who participate in the martial arts and the intense strength and conditioning training known as CrossFit.
Sparks, a 40-year-old Brazilian jujitsu instructor from Chelmsford, had been experimenting with different diets, including veganism, which made him "miserable mentally and physically," when he decided to go in the opposite direction. He went Paleo in December 2010.
"I dropped a lot of weight, and my memory and mood became a lot better," he said. "It was an across-the-board change."
'I was eating a lot but hungry all the time'
Coconut flour, almond milk, almond butter, grass-fed beef, agave nectar, coconut milk creamer, liquid aminos, Caveman cookies (made from
A year ago, Mark, 33, and Alysha, 31, watched Food, Inc., a disturbing documentary about the corporate American food industry. It made them think about what and how they were eating.
"I was looking in my lunchbox and there was a lot of stuff in there, a lot of low-fat, low-calories things, 100-calorie packs," Alysha said. "I was eating a lot, but I was hungry all the time. Plus, I was tired of not being able to pronounce what I was eating."
She knew she needed a change and began looking for high-protein diets to help her and Mark sustain their energy through Muay Thai kickboxing and mixed martial-arts training, as well as the mud races they run. She began researching Paleo and read about people on the diet who were able to stop taking medication for diabetes, high blood pressure and other ailments. She was intrigued.
The couple went Paleo at the beginning of January and, like Sparks, have experienced an abundance of energy, allowing them to make it through double classes of Muay Thai without being exhausted.
Alysha now drinks coffee because she
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A diet similar to Paleo is the Primal diet, which does allow dairy as long as it is the full-fat variety. The Lynches do incorporate some dairy into their diet.
A typical day's breakfast for Mark includes steak, eggs, peppers, onions, cheese and guacamole. For lunch, he may have a can of tuna with mayonnaise, egg, celery, spice and cranberries. For dinner, two small boneless pork chops, steamed broccoli with salt and butter, and applesauce. After Muay Thai class, it's two scoops of protein powder, occasionally with Shaw Farm chocolate milk.
He makes his own jerky. They eat spaghetti squash instead of spaghetti and enjoy ancient grains like quinoa. In the absence of refined sugar, recipes are sweetened with agave nectar or honey. They roam through Whole Foods buying grass-fed beef and free-range chicken. They admit the price tag may be hefty at $10 a pound for skirt steak, but as Mark points out, "we are not drinking $4 coffees or $2 sodas," and because they are eating high-protein they eat less than they did when filling up on processed foods, thus saving money.
Going out to eat can be a challenge, but they and Sparks have found a new eatery where they don't have to interrogate the staff about the ingredients. This restaurant has a special Paleo menu.
A restaurant for cavemen?
Vaios Tsiomplikas, who had co-owned the Methuen Family Restaurant for the last six years, opened the Connector Cafe at 724 Chelmsford St., on Feb. 6. The idea of incorporating a special Paleo menu in addition to their large menu of breakfast and lunch fare was the idea of his wife, Christina Nikitopoulos, who entered the Paleo world through CrossFit, which she began doing two years ago.
"I wasn't sure anyone else would be interested in a Paleo menu, but it has really taken off," she said. "People can mix and match from the regular and Paleo menu."
All of the Paleo dishes are named after CrossFit workouts.
The "Helen" is two turkey burgers with three scrambled egg whites, sweet-potato hash and sliced tomato. The "Karen" is pulled pork in a bowl with a side salad. The "Nancy" is grilled chicken tenders with sautéed broccoli and mushrooms.
Nikitopoulos is enjoying the challenge of creating recipes for baked goods that do not use wheat-based flour or refined sugar. An early success has been "Paleo Power Muffins," made with almond flour, coconut, eggs, banana, carrots and zucchini. There is no sugar, no honey. They are moist and tasty; the hint of sweetness comes from the fruit.
She has figured out how to make Paleo-friendly bread to use for sandwiches so customers on the go can grab something healthy.
She has also learned how to make birthday cakes using coconut, and has been challenged by Mark Lynch to create a satisfying Paleo blueberry muffin.
"It's about choosing healthy ingredients and putting them together," she said. "Now that I have started baking, I don't feel like I am missing out on anything."
Some nutritionists have been critical of the diet because it prohibits some of the major food groups, such as grains and dairy, upon which the American food pyramid was built.
"I considered this to be a fad diet," said Joan Salge Blake, a registered dietitian and clinical associate professor in the nutrition program at Boston University. "It eliminates food groups, such as lean dairy and whole grains, which provide nutrients and compounds such as calcium, vitamin D and phytochemicals in the diet. There isn't any long-term research on the health benefits of consuming this type of diet over the long term.
"The latest recommendation from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends whole grains, lean dairy, fruits, vegetables with modest amounts of lean protein. These recommendations are based on science."
Blake questioned the sustainability of the diet because it can be challenging to follow.
Nikitopoulos, though, said the diet is what each person makes of it. It can be adapted.
"It is all adaptable to what works best for you and your body," she said. "It is as sustainable as you want it to be."
No pizza or fries, but they're surviving
The Paleo diet can be a challenge due to the time commitment.
Eating natural requires a lot more preparation, especially for those who work long hours. There are no quick frozen meals to throw into the microwave.
And then there are the truly delicious, satisfying foods to which it is hard to say goodbye.
"I never really had a sweet tooth, but I love pizza," Sparks said. "That's the one thing I had to work to give up."
Mark and Alysha Lynch also miss pizza, but Alysha found an alternative. Pizza crust can be made out of cooked and grated cauliflower, an egg, some cheese and oregano.
"It was just as good as pizza, in my opinion," she said. "Not the same, but it was good."
"Do I miss french fries?" Mark said. "Kind of. Now I get asparagus instead. It's not the same, but I feel better when I am done eating. And as horrible as I know it is, I really miss Taco Bell."
What's the best part of going Paleo?
"You get to eat as much bacon as you want," Mark said, smiling.
Alysha shakes her head at her husband. "You don't get to eat as much the bacon as you want."
Follow Jennifer Myers on Twitter at www.twitter.com/juicegirl01854.
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