Cafes
The Primal Grind
The Primal Grind doesn't offer the typical pinky-out, recline-and-sip experience of many cafes in Toronto. In fact, it's just the opposite. Located inside the Academy of Lions Crossfit gym on Dundas near Ossington, The Primal Grind isn't focused on lavish indulgence, but rather, it's all about fueling your body with the right stuff.
I walk into the Academy of Lions late one afternoon to Interpol blasting from the stereo, a line of men and women hurling medicine balls against a concrete wall, and Clinton Pontes preparing something hot and dairy-free for a customer at the counter. The Primal Grind isn't really a self-contained café, but instead is more of a stand from which to order drinks and treats, with two circular wooden tables set up nearby.
You can venture inside the stand, though, to pick up prepared soups, eggs, frozen meat from Beretta Organic Farms and more. But what they all the items have in common--including the drinks and treats available from the counter--is that they all adhere to the rules of a strict primal diet.
Pontes, who opened the café with his partner, Freya Ravensbergen, one month ago, sits down with me to explain the principles of a primal diet. "Basically," he begins, "it's about eating the foods that our ancestors ate; the food that our bodies have evolved to consume." That means no dairy, no refined sugars, no legumes, and no grains.
"Sure, our body can process a lot of shit," he says. "But that doesn't mean it's good for it."
Pontes and Ravensbergen, who are both from Montreal, decided to open The Primal Grind in The Academy of Lions since they knew the owner (Ravensbergen works there as a trainer) and figured it would be a good fit for the clientele they would be serving. They regularly serve up espressos ($2.25), teas ($2.50) and other drinks without milk or sugar. Instead, you can opt for an almond milk latte ($4.00), coconut milk latte ($5.00), or almond milk spicy chai latte ($4.00), and sweeten your drinks with raw honey. Sister company Primal Indulgence offers the treats, including apricot nut balls ($2.00) and banana cacao muffins ($3.50).
I sit down with a coconut milk latte and make the mistake of treating it like a normal latte, despite Pontes' warning that it "drinks like a meal." It's smooth and creamy, with a distinct coconut taste, and I begin sipping it down way too quickly. With my cup half empty, I can only pick at the chocolate zucchini spice loaf in front of me ($3), which is quite light and a little crumbly, but I just have no room.
"It's really good for replenishing the body after a hard workout," Pontes says.
Feeling unbelievably full, I take note. Certainly brings new meaning to "survival of the fittest."
The Primal Grind is open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
Photos by Dennis Marciniak
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fyi. coconut milk is not considered dairy either. ;)
Can't wait to try it either.
A few years from now, the whole raw-food trend will be seen as another stupid, faddish "health" trend, consigned to the dustbin.
One funny thing is that Neanderthals are not our ancestors. Another is that anyone that knows anything about evolution knows that no we have not evolved at all to digest these foods in 10,000 years.
The process is way slower than that. We have developed tons of disease though in that time because of this food that our body can't handle.
This isn't the forum to argue the merits of dieting trends, nor does it mean you can't eat there if you subscribe to that. When I was there, the snacks were tasty and filling and the staff friendly and courteous. That's enough to satisfy me, and I don't have to believe in anything abstract to enjoy a tasty latte :)
Ah, you've caught me out. You're right that neanderthals are not our direct ancestors (though theories about inter-breeding are rampant), but what I said holds true for other pre-human and early human groups as well. The notion that we've developed diseases because our bodies "can't handle" modern food is ridiculous--flaky pseudoscience. I would like you to talk to an evolutionary biologist and hear it from someone who really does "know anything at all" about evolurion.
Quetzalcoatl is right that this isn't a biology forum in which to discuss the merits of food trends, but some of us have a hard time reading see silliness.
Personally I think this is a great nutrition plan. It helps to stabilize your glucose levels and avoiding processed crap is always an excellent idea!
we've put many folks here on primal based nutrition plans. basically, gluten-free, dairy free, and legume free. call this diet whatever you like: paleo, primal, caveman, anti-inflammatory it really doesn't matter. my experience is that the vast majority of my clients are experiencing success with it; leaning out, performing better, sleeping better and eating very well.
the idea behind the primal grind and the primal food shop was to surround people with foods that would help them transition to a better lifestyle. whether the espresso was consumed by cavemen is not the point. anyone how would like to challenge these points is absolutely free to stop by and see the people who are members and talk to them about it.
keep the debate going!!!
dhani
By the way I don't know what a champagne socialist is exactly, but I didn't mean to imply that I know everything because I do not , but a lot of what I've read recently about paleolithic nutrition makes a ton of sense and has been proven with recent research. The diet is being used more and more for treating many types of illnesses, increase energy levels, and improve weight loss.
I invite you to check it all out.
I'd like to add that I found out about the paleo diet through a friend at work and it seemed interesting enough to try - I didn't need to lose any significant weight, but I wasn't eating that well, wasn't in tip-top shape and was lacking energy at the end of the work day.
So I tried it, and while it might have been part of a whole process, I did end up feeling better, losing a few unwanted pounds and getting into a condition that I would say is the best I've been in for about 10 years (I'm 30). Not to mention, I crave junk food less, my skin looks great, I found I have fewer "down" days, AND I'm lifting more at the gym than I was this time last year.
It may not make total sense, and cavemen may not have had espressos and canned coconut milk, but if you want to count me as an example, this type of diet improved my quality of life, no question about it. Cutting out sugars, dairy and empty carbs really did help me feel better. Key word is HELP.
By the way, I don't do crossfit, and I'll eat sushi or pizza when I feel like it. I'd never classify myself as hardcore-anything. Just wanted to throw out my opinion.
Maybe some ancient practices died out because those people died very young in those "good old days". 25 would be a ripe old age for a paleo-primal individual. And you'd be furry as all hell!
And, paleo-primal man would not be sucking back an espresso with coconut, almond, or titty milk. He'd just be learning how to use his new-fangled thumbs and smashing shit with rocks.
All these flavour of the month raw food/primal/whatever it's called this week diets are so loaded with pseudo-science and misinformed information, that it's probably more dangerous than all that "scary" processed food we're eating.
Like I mentioned above, I follow a mostly paleo diet. When I first decided to give it a shot, I had to start to look at labels to make sure that nothing was added to the product, which ruled out way more items than I expected. Nonetheless, I cleaned everything up and my diet slowly revolved around fruits, vegetables, lean meats and so forth. Now, whether you're knocking the science of it, or the authenticity of it, what exactly is wrong with that diet? I think a lot of people would find a better state of health if they were to eat like that for a while, and I'm not just talking in the waistline.
There's no pseudo-science to cutting out additives - harmful or otherwise - to your diet. If you think that everything that ends up in the food on Loblaws' shelf today is safe, then I'm probably wasting my breath arguing this.
I learned early that it's an easy diet to knock - most of my friends found it funny to bust out the whole "cavemen didn't have..." lines, but that gets much easier to handle when I started to feel better and look better. And I guess that's my main point.
Excuse me if I sound like that dude from p90x.
My boyfriend has severe arthritis of the spine know as ankylosing spondylitis, which is actually relatively common. About two years ago he went on this diet (we call it a starch free diet). He was diagnosed at 20 and was in such debilitating pain for a few years, going through periods where he could barley even walk.
He has been on the diet for a year and a half and has had a HUGE turn around in his disease. He is now a normal active mid 20's. If he eats outside of the diet he generally experiences a flare up of pain, which usually lasts a day or so.
I can't recommend this diet enough. It was not suggested to him through the medical system, who haven't done much but throw drugs at the problem. The process has really been a great lesson on how important nutrition is to our health and how little we know about this fascinating science.
For anyone needing testimonials on how much this diet has helped people with severe health problems go to this forum :)
http://www.kickas.org/asfood.shtml
Other than the drink/food, I like to frequent a place with a welcoming and friendly atmosphere and that's what you can expect at Primal Grind.
I point this out not to throw more fuel on the fire, but to simply point out that one should not discount the benefits of not eating processed (neolithic) foods because someone with a first year Anthropology course under their belt says that cavemen didn't live very long.
I generally like to base this nutritional and fitness approach on modern - yes modern - science and experience. Again, my clients show very positive results across all markers of health, performance and body composition.
I hate to see anyone simply throw away a good idea because of some kind of stubborn intellectualism.
If you doubt the merits of a "real food" approach to diet I say just give it a shot. The worst thing is that you won't have a bagel for 30 days. Check out some videos from people at the Academy Of Lions who just completed 30 days of eating clean.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=206178249396734
Also, if anyone here would like to conduct their own "informal" study of this health and fitness lifestyle, I welcome you to come to the Academy Of Lions to compare your body composition to anyone who has been doing this stuff for 30 days. You can also challenge them to a run, a pull up contest or anything else you like.
The proof they say is in the pudding.
:)
And do you really need to give me a LARGE, TO GO cup, with a sleeve AND a lid for a single espresso? Really?? Don't people know how to rationalize anymore?!! ITS A SHOT!
Last note to people at Dundas and Ossington: be friendly! Talk to your customers! That will make you interesting. Not your tattoos. If you're depressed and don't like people, lock yourself in a room. Don't go into the service industry...
1) They're on the strip because that is where the gym is located, and their not the 20th gym on the strip (they're the only Crossfit for 5km).
2) There is a lot of good research to support a Paleo diet compared to many other diets. Many people (even who go to the gym) eat like crap, so converting to this diet helps them. You would be hard to argue that this diet is not quite healthy, though there are some contentious issues like saturated fat.
3) I don't support the evolution theory of the diet, which is very weak. Prehistoric man did not suffer from many of today's diseases, but being kept alive by those same medicines dhani talks about and knowing more about health in general has kept us alive for far longer. Living past a natural age means cancer and diabetes are more likely to occur. There is also a massive genetic component.
4) We could argue for hours. In the end this diet helps a lot of people, and whether it is evolutionary or not doesn't really matter (and in reality it likely helps some people for that reason - lactose intolerant - and doesn't for other - myself). Combine it with Crossfit (which like this diet has many good things and a few bad....but it is still the best!) and you'll probably be very healthy....and sore.
If there's a place I can eat that means I don't have to cook, then yay.