If you follow any of the latest nutrition news, you have likely heard at least something about Paleo diet. A few years ago, when it started to become more popular, many folks raised an eyebrow. Or two. Diet that consists of eating like cavemen? How’s that supposed to work? And what is so great about eating like a caveman anyway?
The Paleo diet is lots of things. It’s the furthest thing from an eating disorder, though some might say otherwise. It’s the most popular diet that no one’s actually on. It’s the best diet you know nothing about.
A diet that involves eating plenty of vegetables, fruits and lean meats may not sound like the most appealing to everyone. But the Paleo is a huge hit with celebrities.
In the last decade or so, a number of celebrities have been touting the benefits of a diet that involves eating plenty of vegetables, fruits and lean meats. The idea behind it is that people should eat what our caveman ancestors would have eaten during the Paleolithic era, which dates back to between 2.6 million and 10 thousand years ago.
The Paleo diet is based on the kind of foods that were available in the Paleolithic era — lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables and nuts. Grains, legumes and dairy products are off-limits. Proponents of this diet argue that humans haven’t evolved enough in the last 10,000 years to be able to handle these foods properly. Once consumed by humans, they trigger inflammatory responses in our bodies.
The Paleo diet is the hottest new diet craze to hit the health food market. It has been accredited with curing everything from obesity to diabetes to acne, but what exactly is it, and why is it good for you?
What is the Paleo diet?
Paleo is short for Paleolithic, which means “old diet”. It’s a nutritional plan based on the idea that modern humans should try to eat the way their ancestors did in the Paleolithic era. The diet is said to be based on what humans ate in the Stone Age, when they lived by hunting and gathering. The Paleo diet followers say that the diet which is not just good for weight loss but also helps cure other diseases like diabetes and cancer.
The Paleo diet is a very low-carb, high-protein and high-fat eating plan that aims to emulate the way our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate.
For humans, eating meat and fish was a survival advantage because it meant they were able to get more calories from the same amount of food. The theory is that our bodies have not evolved to cope with the agricultural revolution, which began just 12,000 years ago, and so we are still better at digesting meat than carbs.
The Paleo diet has become increasingly popular. It was one of the most searched for topics on Google in 2013 and there are around half a million Google results for “Paleo diet” today. There are countless blogs and cookbooks dedicated to the diet, which advocates say can be used to help maintain a healthy weight as well as treat or cure various medical conditions from irritable bowel syndrome to diabetes.
Advocates also claim it can prevent or reverse osteoporosis, psoriasis, acne and even dementia.
What sort of foods should you eat on the Paleo diet?
The paleo diet is a diet that includes lean meats, fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and oils. On top of this, it also excludes grains, dairy products and processed foods. This diet consists of foods that were available in the Paleolithic era which is known as the stone age.
The idea behind the diet is that you can only eat food that was available to humans prior to the Agricultural Revolution, which occurred about 10,000 years ago. This means you’re limited to foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and meat — basically anything related to plants. Animal products are encouraged in the Paleo diet, as long as they’re from free-range animals and wild-caught fish. Dairy is also allowed with some caveats.
The Paleo diet is extremely high in proteins, including red meat, pork and poultry. Fish, eggs and nuts are also permitted in moderation. But it’s low on carbohydrates — no breads, cereals or potatoes — and followers avoid legumes as well as beans, peas and lentils because they contain lectins that can cause gut irritation.
What are the Benefits of a paleo diet?
One of the biggest benefits of a paleo diet is weight loss. A person who follows this type of diet will eat plenty of protein and fiber which will help them feel full for long periods of time. This means that they will have less cravings for junk food between meals and their overall calorie intake will be lower.
When someone reduces their calorie intake by eating foods that are high in fiber and protein like fruits, vegetables and meats then weight loss is inevitable. A paleo diet will also help someone increase their lean muscle mass because they will be getting plenty of protein from the meats they consume on a daily basis.
Protein helps build lean muscle mass which ultimately helps burn fat quicker when combined with exercise.
