Pete Evans is known for his extreme beliefs when it comes to the way he thinks humans are meant to eat – promoting poultry, fish, eggs, some fruit, vegetables and meat, and excluding legumes, grains and dairy. He has also gone as far as making statements which claim to suggest that adopting paleo with prevent autism, slammed the guidelines set in place by the DAA and criticised the National Heart Foundation on several bases.
Much like Sarah Wilson, Evans has garnered a cult following for his nutritional advice, but the 41-year-old I Quit Sugar guru insists she is not in agreement with the TV chef’s popular Paleo push.
“Too many people like to lump me in with Pete Evans,” she says, admitting to the battle she faces with people misinterpreting her message.
“I have problems with some of the things Pete says, too – massive problems. Becoming militantly anti-legume, for example, is ridiculous. They are perfectly fine if you prepare them properly. I don’t see myself as an extremist. My program is about moderation.”
At the heart of her program, which recommends the same level of sugar consumption as the World Health Organisation – 5 per cent of total kilojoules, is a belief shared by many health professionals: sugar, especially that added to processed foods, is something that the human body needs to avoid as it contributes to many modern day health problems and complications.
Respected dietician and nutritionist, Dr Rosemary Stanton agrees that Sarah’s program is broadly on the right track and that we all need to cut excessive levels of sugar from our diet.
“I am in total agreement with her that we need to cut sugar intake,” says Doctor Stanton. “I don’t see her as an extremist at all. But people who recommend that we stop eating grains, legumes, carrots, peas and fruit – that’s just crazy.”
The overall consensus however, is to not restrict yourself of any food group unless you suffer from legitimate allergies or intolerances and rather limit your intake of foods deemed to be bad for us, one of the biggest culprits being sugar.
