What is the Paleo Diet?
The Paleo diet is a way of eating the healthiest food like we used to do way back … way back like the cavemen did.
The Paleolithic diet or the so-called Paleo diet consists of eating anything that we can hunt and find such as fresh meat, fruits, nuts vegetables, fish, eggs and seeds.
It is also called the cavemen diet because it refers to fresh and organic food that can be found in the wild, and not processed food.
The Paleo diet is proven as a great way to lose weight and become healthy because you’re cutting down on processed food in favor of simple and natural foods.
How does the Paleo diet work?
I know what’s going on in your mind… another marketing ploy, advertising diet programs… but the Paleo diet actually is legit and works. You see, years ago before Crunch and Nike came into the scene, our ancestors lived as hunters. And it’s been a long time but our genetics have not changed much.
An average homo-sapien back then: tall, strong, muscular, happy and athletic.
An average homo-sapien now: overweight, sleep deprived, out of shape, unhappy and stressed out.
So what happened that caused such a change in an average homo-sapien? Agriculture! Thousands of years ago, humans discovered farming and we moved from hunters to farmers. We formed societies, settled down and the human race slowly progressed to what we are today.
But the problem is that our bodies could never adjust properly to eating the grains now farmed. As Robb Wolf says, imagine a 100-yard football field. The first 99.5 yard is the time that homo-sapiens spent as hunters. In this time, they became very good at hunting and our bodies became adapted to the lifestyle over years. The last half years represents our species as farmers where our diets have changed but our genetics have not.
Instead of eating meat, fish, veggies and fruits, we have become dependent on grains – bread, corn, pasta, noodles and so on…
66% of people are overweight and 33% obese and the numbers are rising.
This shows something’s is not right. The Paleo diet helps us to go back to the diet we are biologically designed to have and live a healthier life.
Healthy Paleo Diet
Fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and phytonutrients. Consuming these decrease the probability of developing degenerative diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
Lean Proteins
Lean Proteins help in the development of healthy bones and muscles and optimize immune function. Consuming proteins make you feel fuller and satisfied.
Fats from nuts, seeds, fish oil and olive oil
Studies show that food rich in Omega 3 and mono-saturated fat reduce the likelihood of obesity, heart diseases, diabetes and cancer.
The greatest change from our ancestral diet is the type and amount of fat we consume now as modern grain-fed animals versus the type and amount of fat in grass-fed animals or wild meat and fish. Wild meat has a relatively low amount of saturated fat and a significant amount of Omega 3 fat such as EPA and DHA.
Benefits of Paleo diet
There are several health benefits of Paleo diet.
- Stable blood sugar
- Weight loss
- Reduced allergy
- Balanced energy throughout the day
- Clear skin and better teeth
- Improved sleep pattern
- More efficient workout
Now it’s your turn.
Now that you know what is the Paleo diet and its benefits, you might like to explore more on Paleo recipes and diet charts. If you have any experience on Paleo menu or diet or any other suggestion about what is the Paleo diet, do share with us in the comments below.
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