Shan herself adopted the paleo diet to alleviate her food allergies, cutting out gluten, dairy, and processed foods. “I was tired of feeling unwell,” she explained. “I decided that wasn’t going to be my normal anymore.”
The paleo diet, inspired by the presumed diet of Paleolithic humans, focuses on lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts, while excluding refined sugars, grains, legumes, dairy, and processed foods. Despite its popularity, some experts express concerns about the diet’s exclusion of grains and legumes, which are rich in fiber, vitamins, and nutrients, as well as dairy, a source of calcium and protein. Critics also argue that the diet oversimplifies ancient eating habits, noting that early human diets varied by geography and included grains long before the advent of farming.
Shan’s Balanced Approach
Though Shan follows a general paleo diet, she is flexible. As she writes on her blog, “I am not vegan, vegetarian, paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, fat-free, carb-free, or any other food ‘denomination’ entirely. I take what I like from different food approaches and adapt it to what makes me feel good.”
