One of the most popular diets is Paleo Diet, also known as Paleolithic or Cave Man diet. This type of diet has gained popularity because it helps resolve medical conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes, Auto-immune diseases, Hypertension, obesity, etc.
It is known that the prehistoric man did not have the above mentioned medical conditions that is why doctors and medical experts looked on our ancestors’ way of living to see what is different.
The concept of this diet is that our body hasn’t evolved and has not kept up with modernisation. An example of this is eating grains. Humans have not been eating grains until 20,000 years ago only and wheat domestication started at around 10,000 years ago. This brought about the emergence of Celiac disease that we know of today.
With all the technology advancement, our food had drastically changed and evolved but our bodies haven’t able to keep up with these changes and this affected digestion and have a massive impact on our health conditions.
What is Paleo Diet?
Paleo diet is a modern adaptation of the diet of our ancestors. It mimics the food groups our ancestors ate to maintain their lifestyle. It came from the word ‘Paleolithic’ which means ‘relating to the early phase of the Stone Age’.
Around 2.5 million years ago, our ancestors invented stone tools which helped them acquire food. They were known to be hunters and gatherers and it was believed that they only consumed whole foods.
The core of this diet is to pattern the food that we consuming to what our ancestors were eating, avoiding processed food that contains salt and sugar, and will then result to improved overall health.
In Paleo, we focus on whole foods. They always say that if it grew from the ground, flew through the sky, swam across the water, ran across the ground – then it is all safe to eat. The idea is, if a caveman is eating it, you should probably be eating it too.
Food List for Paleo Diet
Generally Paleo diet is high protein, moderate fat and low to moderate carbohydrate. This diet emphasize on low glycemic index food.
There would be different schools of thoughts for Paleo and there are debates regarding what actual food really existed in those times, regional variations of foods, available food in that period, etc. So it is safe to assume that there is no ‘one true Paleo diet’.
Paleo is mainly focused on consuming whole foods, vegetables and fruits, healthy proteins and healthy fats. It limits the intake of grains, legumes, dairy products – all of which can also be a great source of vitamins and minerals.
Here are some foods that you can eat in Paleo:
- Fish and Sea-food
Salmon, Cod, Shrimp, Lobster, Clams, Bass, Halibut, Mackerel, Sardines, Tuna, Red Snapper, Tilapia, Trout, Crayfish, Crawfish, Scallops, Oysters - Meat – choose grass-fed meat please!
Chicken, Turkey, Pork tenderloin, Ground beef, Steak, Veal, Lamb, Venison steak, Buffalo, Bison, Rabbit, Goat, Elk, Emu, Goose, Kangaroo, Beef Jerky, Eggs, Ostrich - Vegetables
Spinach, Cabbage, Sweet Potatoes, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts - Fruits
Bananas, Melon, Grapes, Bananas, Berries, Plums, Peaches, Oranges, Nectarines - Nuts and Seeds
Cashews, Walnuts, Pistachios, Pecans, Hazelnuts, Chia Seeds, Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Flax seeds
Doing Paleo Diet can result to weight loss and improved overall health condition. The elimination of salt and sugar, which can be found in all processed foods, can definitely put your body in a better shape.
This type of diet can work for people who struggle with counting calories because they can eat a wide variety of food as long as it free of salt or hidden sugar.
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