‘It’s never too late’: Pete Evans’ health advice for over-60s

Aussie chef Pete Evans, says it’s never “too late” to get fit and healthy. Paleo Pete, as he’s known, is famed for pushing his strict paleo diets, but now the celebrity chef is on a mission to transform the eating habits of over-60s.

Evans transformed his body over the past few years, adopting a hard-lined approach to healthy eating and dropping the kilos. Now he says over-60s can do the same and break bad eating habits accumulated over their lifetime. 

“My advice is: It’s never too late to change. It will come down to a choice and only you can make that choice … ‘Do I love myself enough to nourish myself?’ I truly hope that the answer is ‘yes’,” he told Starts at 60.

The paleo diet, commonly referred to as the caveman diet, is hugely popular these days. It’s designed to emulate only what humans are thought to have eaten during the Palaeolithic era. It promotes poultry, fish, eggs, fruit, vegetables and meat, and avoids legumes, grains and dairy products.

“I’ve had more people in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s adopt this way of life and tell me that they’ve never felt better in their lives than they do now,” Evans explains.

However, many health experts in the past have criticised the diet and labelled it another fad. According to evolutionary biologist Karen Hardy, carbohydrates play an important role in the developing of bigger brains, The Guardian reported. And a study published in the journal Cell Metabolism found people lost more fat on a low-fat diet than on a low-carb one. 

Alexa Nella, a dietician at the University of California, said the paleo diet “puts most [people] at risk of deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D”, news.com.au reported. 

So should everyone be on it? “If you have poor health, then choosing to nourish yourself with an anti-inflammatory diet may be one thing that you can change,” Evans says. 

While an anti-inflammatory diet means cutting out all junk, Evans says you can still enjoy healthier versions from coconut based ice-cream to cookies made with seeds,  adding: “My family and I never go without enjoying ourselves”.

If you’re planning to make the health switch, always speak to a health professional first.

What are your thoughts on this? Would you try the paleo diet?