Are you interested in learning about Paleo diet?
Here’s the overview of the diet in a nut shell.
The Paleo diet is a dietary plan designed and modeled on what our ancestors (hunter-gatherers) ate some thousands year ago.
Even though it is technically impossible to have 100% knowledge of what they ate at their different locations around the world, research and studies have shown that their diets is a combination of whole foods.
If the Paleo diet is followed alongside living a physically active lifestyle, there would be a greatly reduced chances of suffering from heart and lifestyle related disease which are prevalent in many cultures at the moment.
The typical Paleo diet consists of lean meats, vegetables, fish, fruits seeds and nuts. The basic advice is that Paleo diet tells you stay away or limit the consumption of foods that emerged when farming started and stick to foods that could be obtained by hunting and gathering.
The Paleo diet is also known as the Caveman diet, Paleolithic diet, Hunter-gatherer diet and Stone Age diet – quite often this is a sales exercise and simply rebranding the name to sell products.
What is the purpose of Paleo diet?
The sole aim of Paleo diet is to return to the ancient days of eating. This is because it is believed that genetics mismatch is as a result of the modern diet.
Reasons to follow Paleo diet
People follow Paleo diet for different reasons but the summary of the reasons are;
· To lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle
· To plan meals
Here is the details of the diet
Paleo diets recommendations are always different and stricter than each other but in general here is the guideline;
Paleo diet allows you eat;
· Fish that are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids (e.g. Tuna, Mackerel and Salmon are best but Trout and haddock are OK as well)
· Fruits (e.g Apples, bananas, oranges, pears, avocados, strawberries, blueberries and many more)
· Eggs : You should choose free-range eggs.
· Tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes etc.
· Lean meats (most especially wild games or grass fed animals)
· Nuts and seeds (Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and more.)
· Natural oils from fruits (e.g. The best examples are walnut oil and olive oil)
· Vegetables (e.g Broccoli, kale, peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, and many others)
· Salt and spices
Paleo diet doesn’t allow you eat;
· Dairy products (Most of these are out)
· Grains (breads and pastas, Barley, oats and wheat)
· Legumes ( Beans, Lentils, Peanuts and Peas)
· Processed foods (ready meals are the best example)
· Artificial sweeteners: Aspartame, sucralose,saccharin, acesulfame are out
· Refined sugar (Sweets, soda, ice cream and any food with sugar in it basically)
How the Paleo diet menu does look like
While reading through the do’s and don’ts of Paleo diet, you must be wondering how you will combine the foods you can eat to make a menu. Anyway, here is a typical Paleo day menu, we will go into more details of Paleo recipes on the site later.
Breakfast: Broiled salmon and cantaloupe is perfect for breakfast
Lunch: Sandwich in a lettuce leaf plus vegetables and meat
Dinner: Lean meat and vegetables
Snacks: Citrus and celery stick
It is also important you know that taking lot of water is required to complete the diet and to make you physically active.
The result of Paleo diet
Having carried out research, clinical study and comparing Paleo diet plans to other eating plans, the result showed that the benefits of the diet is invaluable.
Here is a summary of the benefits of Paleo diet
Blood pressure control is better
Improved glucose tolerance
Low fat
You experience weight loss
Your appetite is better managed
Few questions on Paleo diet
There have been questions on Paleo diet and the two major questions or concerns include both the underlying hypothesis and the food selection.
Food selection
A Paleo diet is a healthy diet in it is rich in fruits, nuts and vegetables.
The major difference between the Paleo diet and the normal diet is the absence of grains and legumes which can be seen as a good source of vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients and the absence of dairy products which are good sources of protein.
Also some people see Paleo diet as expensive because they are not generally affordable.
Paleo diet hypothesis
There have been lots of argument that the Paleo diet over simplifies the changes that occurred in man. Here are a couple of basic facts;
Archaeological research also showed that man have always fed on grains some 30,000 years back before farming started.
Researches have shown that notable evolution and changes have always occurred after the Paleolithic era and some are related to dietary starches.
Conclusion
Paleo diet is a unique way to maintain or lose weight. It also offer other health effects that are of benefit to man.
However, there have not been any long term clinical study to explain the long term benefits and the risk attached.
To get the best from your Paleo diet, ensure you get enough exercise and rest.