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“Lollipop Paleo” is a semi-acronymous term for a specific denomination of the Paleo Diet, standing for:
Low-Starch, Low-Heat, Locally-Sourced, Produce-Probiotic-Prebiotic-and-Seafood-Centric Paleo.
All of the L’s and the P’s are the source of the term “Lollipop.” This dietary approach is the result of decades of research and personal experimentation on the core of quality of existence, consumption, with the result being a form of the Paleo Diet scoring highest on all of the most important health factors.
“Low-Starch” – Not only do starchy foods degrade the metabolism of the consumer over time (taxing the pancreas and insulin-sensitivity of the cells trying to protect themselves from sugar damage), owing to their easy conversion into glucose and, thus, their high glycemic index and, usually, high glycemic load, but these same foods tend to be inflammatory and low-nutrient-dense in general, especially when compared to alternative fruits, and especially alternative vegetables. As inflammation is the root cause of most consumption-based health ills, and as micronutrients-divided-by-calories is a foremost indicator of the healthfulness of any food source, a diet that trades starch for whole fruits and vegetables is key.
“Low-Heat” – Heat degrades the nutritional density of food whilst creating carcinogenic byproducts and triggering an immune response by denaturing the food being consumed which, once denatured, leads to the immune system’s inability to recognize it as a natural food source, which it thereafter tends to attack (look up “digestive leukocytosis”), triggering inflammation. Therefore, being committed to a ‘low and slow’ cooking method, eating lots of raw produce and cooking foods only to a certain point wherein, for example, the vegetables maintain their ‘crispness’ and fish isn’t overcooked, makes that same food far healthier (and less likely to produce cancer and inflammation) than if conventionally cooked. The low heat method also lends itself to a seafood-centric diet, relative to animal sources of protein, which is advised on Lollipop Paleo, because seafood tends to have the healthiest fat profile of all animal protein.
“Locally-Sourced” – Sourcing your food locally promotes health and general societal protection and progress across an array of arenas, from dramatic reductions, if not outright eliminations, of carbon and financial costs related to transporting and storing harvested food to and for the consumer, to possessing a higher degree of nutrient density and bioavailability based on the fact that food begins to degrade as soon as it is harvested (meaning that the ideal is to consume immediately upon harvest, a la the ‘hunter and gatherer lifestyle’ which Paleo essentially emulates), to supporting local farms and CSA’s that are better connected to the consumer (as opposed to buying from corporate behemoths more likely to produce, harvest, ship and store immorally and unsustainably), and who represent a communal practice of food integration and appreciation that is impossible to value, and overvalue. The ideal of the locally-sourced consideration, of course, is for everyone to be growing at least some of their own food.
“Produce-Probiotic-Prebiotic-and-Seafood-Centered” – All of these factors are valuable and synergistic. Produce (meaning fruits and vegetables) is the most micronutrient-dense of all food sources by far, with micronutrient density being perhaps the foremost promoter of good physical and mental health, and protection against disease and debilitation. Produce is also the primary source of both forms of fiber so critical to systemic health, guarding the digestive, circulatory and metabolic systems. Probiotics and prebiotics, respectively, refer to the microorganic legions that exist within the human gut biome, and which play an extensive role in everything from neurochemical creation and transmission to mitigating the effects of inflammation. The “pro” are the legions themselves, the “pre” is their food (digesting plants). Seafood, as mentioned, possesses the best fat profile of all animal protein sources, owing to the fact that seafood feeds upon aquatic plants rich in Omega-3’s. Seafood also carries a far lower carbon cost than land animals. You want “Wild,” as “Farm-Raised” and even “Wild-Caught” means adulteration. And when you’re not eating wild seafood, go for non-CAFO, grazing animals raised on their natural diet.