I spent last weekend at Paleo f(x) – the largest gathering of paleo(sos) anywhere in the world – in one of my favorite cities in the world – Austin, Texas.
Paleo f(x) was a 3-day blur of some of the brightest minds in paleo, sharing brand new paleo research, training, recipes, and products throughout the conference space.
Table of Contents
Here Are 5 Things I Learned at Paleo f(x) in 2014
1) Paleo Is Growing
I was at Paleo f(x) in 2012 (the very first one!) and it was just starting to grow.
The panels were small and the “expo” consisted of about seven or eight booths. There weren’t that many people either. Either Robb or Mark quipped that all of the people who attended the first conference could have fit onto just one of the stages that were there this year (there were five this year).
This year over one thousand people attended. There were dozens of exhibitors and the floor was packed with great paleo goodies and companies.
Paleo is growing.
2) Paleo Is A Framework
Robb Wolf, Mark Sisson, and Chris Kresser all have different takes on the paleo diet. Chris goes so far as to test the limits of what “paleo” is and isn’t in his new book.
While different people disagreed about different aspects of the paleo diet, everyone agreed on the importance of testing how food affects you as an individual basis and that it’s the individual’s job to take responsibility for his/her health. Which leads to my next point.
3) Paleo Involves Experimentation
Whether you do the 30 Day Challenge, Whole30, or something else, an important part of paleo and taking control of your own health is trying out an elimination diet in order to see how good you can feel without certain foods and to realize how certain foods make you feel.
Once you’ve done that, you might find that you operate better with more carbs, dairy, or legumes from time to time than a strict paleo adherent.
While basic paleo is a great starting point, if the end goal is complete health, you need to experiment.
4) Paleo Is Delicious
There are some ridiculously good treats out there. I’m going to be doing a round-up of our favorite paleo treats soon, but the expo floor was packed with delicious paleo-friendly bars to go, including The Granilla Bar and Eating Evolved’s dark chocolate (my two favorites).
5) The Best Part of Paleo is the People
Whether it’s listening to the panels, the friendly debates from people on different sides of the paleo spectrum, or meeting online friends in person, the best part of paleo (besides the obvious health benefits) is the people.
The only question left: Will we see you at Paleo f(x) in 2015?
Some of our favorite photos from the event:
The @PaleoFX panel on living ‘beyond paleo’ food. #paleo #primal #PFX14 pic.twitter.com/xYnQDSD5pt
— Ultimate Paleo Guide (@thepaleoguide) April 13, 2014
Workout Nutrition for Paleo panel at #paleofx with @DHKiefer @bengreenfield & crew @PaleoFX pic.twitter.com/frghcSnpgu — Ultimate Paleo Guide (@thepaleoguide) April 13, 2014
The @johndurant on the effect of disgust on human behavior and social norms @PaleoFX #paleofx pic.twitter.com/gwrzenYKNv
— Ultimate Paleo Guide (@thepaleoguide) April 13, 2014
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