Jeb Bush Drops Pounds With The Paleo Diet — But Is It Healthy?

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush has embraced the “caveman style” of eating to lose weight. (Photo: Getty Images)

Even politicians are going Paleo.

And for Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida and potential U.S. presidential candidate, it’s helped him achieve weight loss.

Bush, 62, has lost around 30 pounds since December by abiding by the Paleo diet, which is based off the foods ancient humans supposedly used to eat. It involves consuming lean meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds, and avoiding processed foods, refined sugar, dairy, and cereal grains. The diet is especially popular among those in the CrossFit community, but it’s also gained steam among the general public.

Of course, it’s no secret that the campaign trail is the opposite of a healthy food crawl. Doughnuts, pie, and deep-fried foods are often waiting at every diner or coffee shop a candidate makes a stop at, Reuters reported. But Bush has been eating grilled chicken salads for lunch, and his snacks of choice include nuts and seeds.

However, as The New York Times points out, the diet isn’t exactly leaving Bush’s stomach satisfied: “I am always hungry,” he said.

But is the Paleo diet actually a good option for weight loss?

“It all depends on where they’re coming from. If someone is eating McDonald’s and ice cream every day and they move to a clean Paleo diet, they will lose weight very fast,” nutritionist Keri Glassman, MS, RN, CDN, founder of Nutritious Life, tells Yahoo Health. “If someone already eats clean, the results won’t be as fast, but it will still be effective.”

There hasn’t been a ton of research on the Paleo diet. Some small, short-term studies show possible heart and weight loss benefits, but don’t address the effects of following the diet over the long-term.

“I don’t think of it as a quick fix; most people adopt Paleo as a lifestyle and stick with the principles of it,” Glassman says. “Many things about Paleo are great, and it is extreme for some people, but it includes many things everyone can follow like focusing on healthy fats, vegetables, high-quality lean protein, no sugar or process packaged foods.”

Even if you don’t abide by the diet 100 percent, you can still implement some of its healthy aspects, such as the idea that fat can be good (particularly monounsaturated fats in foods like avocados), the limiting of processed foods that are lacking in nutrients, and the embracing of high-protein snacks that keep you satiated.

U.S. News & World Report, which puts out an annual ranking of diet plans, ranked the Paleo diet toward the bottom of this year’s list. In the explanation of the ranking, it points out that the diet exceeds the government’s dietary guidelines for fat and protein, and falls short when it comes to carbs, though it does seem to do a good job with fiber and potassium. But the problem with the Paleo diet may be its restrictiveness, U.S. News points out:

Can you get used to the idea of breadless sandwiches? Or having your milk and cookies without either milk or cookies? Diets that restrict entire food groups are difficult to follow. On the flip side, you can determine how primal you want to be, working in some cheat meals if you want.

Related: 4 Things You Should Know About The Paleo Diet

Bush isn’t the only politician whose diet has made headlines. Former president Bill Clinton notoriously enjoyed foods like doughnuts and cornmeal-crusted catfish, until health scares prompted him to switch to a vegan diet. ( PETA even named him the Person of The Year in 2010.)

“One of the few things I miss about this diet is I loved hard cheese — I miss that. But I feel a lot better” abiding by a plant-based diet, Clinton previously told Jimmy Kimmel.

The New York Times recently noted how much diet and weight seem to be relevant electoral issues — and how politicians seem to be paying attention to their own weights. New Jersey governor Chris Christie, for instance, shed a significant number of pounds after undergoing Lab-Band surgery. And British Prime Minister David Cameron cut carbs, peanuts, and cookies to drop 13 pounds in three months.

The Times piece reads:

“Fitness, for obvious reasons, has always been part of the leadership arsenal, with the workout photo op seeming almost de rigueur…But the public discussion of executive waistline issues is a relatively new development. And presumably a calculated one”

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