The Paleo diet: What is it?

Image source: paleodietlifestyle(dot)com

The Paleo or caveman diet is a diet based upon what our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have thrived on during the pre-agricultural Palaeolithic period. The diet includes most importantly fresh meats (chicken, grass-fed beef, pork, lamb), seafood and free-range eggs as well as some fruits, nuts and vegetables. According to the Paleo philosophy dairy foods, refined sugars and processed foods were not part of our ancestral menu thus our bodies have not adapted to consuming them. A personal training course will teach you about diet and the types of diets suitable for different individuals.

Image source: paleodietfoodlist(dot)net

What to eat:

Meat

Eggs

Most nuts and seeds

Coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk

Tea

Leafy greens and other vegetables

Yams

Fresh fruits

What not to eat:

Dairy

Legumes (peanuts, green beans and peas)

Cereal grains

Pasta

Bread

Refined sugars

Refined grains

Refined vegetable oils

Potatoes and other starchy foods

Processed foods

Pros:

• You will have more energy for longer periods of time. The reason for this is that the foods you will eat digest slowly, meaning your blood sugar levels will be stable throughout the day.
• You’ll feel fuller for longer
• Hunter-gatherers did not typically suffer from many of the chronic illnesses that plague the Western world today like cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes and many others. It is assumed that environment and diet had something to do with this, as our digestive system has not evolved to process many of the foods we eat to this day. What we put into our bodies can and does have long-term health effects, and the diet is structured so that we only eat what our bodies are designed to digest.
• Weight loss – with fewer refined carbs in your diet your body will rely on stored fat for energy
• Reduced blood pressure, lower levels of total cholesterol and lower insulin secretion after ingestion of glucose.
• Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease

Cons:

• Cost – the typical diet consists of free-range eggs and grass-fed beef which are more costly than regular grocery selections. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are favoured, and should be fresh each day
• Supplements – the diet is only as close as it can be to the true diet of our ancestors. For the nutrients that are missing, supplements should be taken.
• You will need to find alternatives for milk and grains especially if you’re not used to going without these in your diet
• The diet is a topic of high contention among professionals, you should speak to a doctor before making drastic changes to your diet
• Sustainability – it is not an easy diet to sustain for a long period of time, you will need to find a balance