--- title: Jeb Bush is on the Paleo Diet description: At a fundraiser in Florida, former Gov. Jeb Bush said that he's on the paleo diet, a new diet where you eat like a prehistoric human. canonical: https://time.com/3703764/jeb-bush-paleo-diet/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-10T21:15:43.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:44:02.274Z article:section: Politics og:title: Jeb Bush Is on the Paleo Diet og:description: He's eating like a prehistoric human. og:url: https://time.com/3703764/jeb-bush-paleo-diet/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5db7ce0b8a962d7b/69877e8135ba6f4cffc06fd0/jeb-bush7.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2100 og:image:height: 1181 og:image:alt: Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush Keynote og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Jeb Bush Is on the Paleo Diet twitter:description: He's eating like a prehistoric human. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5db7ce0b8a962d7b/69877e8135ba6f4cffc06fd0/jeb-bush7.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Jeb Bush Hopes to Win the General Election by Losing the Weight > Sponsored content. 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Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) and [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/) Feb 10, 2015 9:15 PM UTC  Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida, speaks during a keynote session at the National Automobile Dealer Association conference in San Francisco, Calif. on Jan. 23, 2015. Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida, speaks during a keynote session at the National Automobile Dealer Association conference in San Francisco, Calif. on Jan. 23, 2015.David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty Images by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) and [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/) Feb 10, 2015 9:15 PM UTC Jeb Bush’s campaign to slim down the federal government appears to begin with himself. At a fundraiser in Florida today, the former Florida governor [admitted that he’s on the paleo diet](http://time.com/3703618/jeb-bush-digital-strategy/), a new diet [based on the idea that you should eat like early humans did](http://time.com/3614394/paleo-diet/) before the invention of farming and animal husbandry. That means avoiding refined sugar, breads and beans and focusing more on eating meat and non-starchy vegetables. “I’m really appreciative of the support that you’ve given me and I hope that you pray for my family, pray for me,” Bush joked. “Continue to pray that I stick on this paleo diet where my pants fall down. Perpetually starving to death apparently is the source of losing weight.” Bush has joined a long line of recent presidential candidates who’ve lost weight while hoping to win a campaign. • Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee [took up running and weightlifting](http://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/mike-huckabee-weight-loss-success-story) and began eating less before the 2008 Republican primary, then later wrote a book, “Quit Digging Your Grave With a Knife and Fork.” • New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, whose struggle with weight led some helpful voters to [send him 77 diet books](http://time.com/3680063/chris-christie-77-diet-books/%20), [underwent gastric-band surgery](http://healthland.time.com/2013/05/07/gov-chris-christies-weight-loss-surgery-demystified/) in 2013 to help shed some pounds. • Texas Sen. Ted Cruz hasn’t spoken publicly about any weight-loss regimens ([other than a joke about Obama](http://www.businessinsider.com/ted-cruz-epic-speech-obama-is-making-america-a-kitty-cat-2014-8)), but the Beltway publication _Politico_ noted that he’s [“looking trim these days.”](http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/11/ted-cruzs-greatest-weakness-112813.html#ixzz3J5NHYN8H) • Even 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney, who was hardly overweight, was known to [pull the skin off his fried chicken](http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2012/03/republican-dish-what-the-candidates-eat-on-the-campaign-trail/) when eating out on the campaign trail. The candidates aren’t just being vain. Running for president is a physically grueling experience and being in better shape can help. But no one [put it better](http://thehill.com/capital-living/in-the-know/106005-gov-haley-barbours-waistline-suggests-he-will-run-in-2012) than former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who considered a run in 2012. “If you see me losing 40 pounds, that means I’m either running or have cancer,” he said. By that measure, Jeb Bush just officially declared his candidacy. ### See the 2016 Candidates Looking Very Presidential  Sen. Ted Cruz is surrounded by stars and stripes at the 2014 Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. on September 26, 2014. Mark Peterson—Redux  Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton gazes pensively into the distance at Iowa Senator Tom Harken'a annual Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa on September 14, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis for TIME  Jeb Bush Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush flashes a power watch before giving his keynote address at the National Summit on Education Reform in Washington on Nov. 20, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Bernie Sanders waves to supporters after officially announcing his candidacy for the U.S. presidency during an event at Waterfront Park in Burlington, Vermont, on May 26, 2015. Win McNamee—Getty Images  Chris Christie New Jersey Governor Chris Christie strikes a presidential power stance at the ceremony for the opening of the 206 bypass in Hillsborough, New Jersey on October 28, 2013. Mark Peterson—Redux  Former Hewlett-Packard Co Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina listens to her introduction from the side of the stage at the Freedom Summit in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 24, 2015. Jim Young—Reuters  Rand Paul Sen. Rand Paul works a crowd during a campaign stop on October 24, 2014 in McDonough, Georgia. Jessica McGowan—Getty Images  Rick Perry Texas Gov. Rick Perry looks powerfully patriotic during the National Anthem before an NCAA college football game on Nov. 27, 2014, in College Station, Texas. David J. Phillip—AP  Bobby Jindal Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal looks to the future during The Family Leadership Summit on Aug. 9, 2014, in Ames, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall—AP  Martin O'Malley Maryland Governor Martin OíMalley ponders decorating ideas in front of his possible future home on CBS's Face the Nation on Feb. 23, 2014. Chris Usher—AP  Marco Rubio Sen. Marco Rubio looks determined the morning after the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. on January 29, 2014. Melissa Golden—Redux  Ben CarsonBen Carson at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference on March 8, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Jim Webb Retiring Sen. Jim Webb imitates the presidential wave during a rally in Virginia Beach, Va. on Sept. 27, 2012. Steve Helber—AP  John Kasich Ohio Gov. John Kasich practices his presidential victory pose at the Ohio Republican Party celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, in Columbus, Ohio. Tony Dejak—AP  Rick Santorum Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum looks resolute at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 7, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis  Scott Walker Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker practices the presidential point on March 3, 2014 in Milwaukee. Jeffrey Phelps—AP  Mike Huckabee Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee fine-tunes his presidential oratory at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference in National Harbor, Md. on March 7, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Lincoln Chafee, Former Rhode Island Governor, poses for a selfie with a student after announcing he will seek the Democratic nomination for president in Arlington, Va. on June 3, 2015. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Lindsey Graham Lindsey Graham announced his plans to join the 2016 presidential race. Alex Wong—Getty Images  George Pataki Former New York governor George Pataki listens to a question at the First in the Nation Republican Leadership Conference in Nashua, New Hampshire, in this April 17, 2015 file photo. 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