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So just what is the Paleo Diet and what exactly is it all about?
Thanks to the obscene levels of obesity and rife levels of heart disease and diabetes,
there has never been a greater focus on overall society to become fit, slimmer and more healthy.
Dieting and nutritional lifestyle choices have become endless and it would be fair to
say that dieting in one way or another is now a way of life for the majority of people.
And there are so, so many diets and programs available to us these days. They cover every
topic known to man on the right foods to eat and avoid and in what combination but really,
upon searching deeper, we will find that the answers we seek go back to our caveman ancestors.
With this endless choice and all the varying options and rules involved in each particular
diet, it pays to really understand what each diet entails before you choose one and get
started. It must be right for you and give you everything you need or are looking for
without causing any additional problems or side effects.
Upon investigation you will see that many popular diets restrict carbohydrates or focus
on fruit and vegetables. Other diets focus on only eating a certain food group or even
raw foods only. Several also restrict or discourage large amounts of protein and meats. The Paleo
Diet is quite unique however because the whole idea comes from simulating the natural aspects
of the type of diet enjoyed by the very first humans - the caveman! What Is The Paleo Diet?
What is the Paleo Diet and where does it come from?
Known commonly as The Stone Age, Paleo comes from the Paleolithic period of history and
the Paleo diet eating plan is often known as the "Hunter Gatherer Diet." It takes its
name from the fact that all the food contained in this diet were either able to be hunted
or gathered. Meats and Seafood come under the hunted category meanwhile nuts, vegetables
and fruits for example are categorized under gathered.
Basically, this diet stems from the fact that early humans who had no access to or knowledge
of animal husbandry and agriculture, had a diet that you either hunted or gathered for
yourself. The Paleo Diet applies this slant and line of thinking to modern-day foods reducing
and eliminating processed and man-made foods. This does not mean you are expected to hunt
and gather for yourself! Just only that the nutrition choices we make are as natural and
unaltered as possible.
The base foundation of the Paleo eating plan is that humans are genetically suited to eat
the foods that our ancestors consumed. Therefore, before the introduction of agriculture, nutrition
and food was so much different than that of today so in short, the Paleo diet imitates
the foods that every single human on earth consumed and had available at that particular
time.
Not only is the Paleo eating plan full of quality, natural, high nutritional value foods
such as fruits and vegetables along with seafood and lean meats but it is perhaps known better
for the foods, drinks and ingredients that are not consumed by those on the Paleo Diet.
As the agriculture revolution provided us with foods our early ancestors never had such
as dairy products, salt, sugar and even grains, they are not allowed to be consumed. Not only
do some of these ingredients and food stuffs cause digestive problems but these products
have been shown through endless research that they can lead to an increase in weight and
a higher chance of developing health problems such as diabetes.
Because of its high protein content the Paleo nutritional lifestyle has a large and steadily
growing athlete following. Thanks to the basic foods in the Paleo diet such as chicken, fish,
lean meats, nuts, fruits and vegetables it is an athlete's dream providing energy, muscle
development and fiber along with the reduction of all weight gaining and physique robbing
junk food and unhelpful ingredients.
Most vegetables are great for the Paleo lifestyle however root vegetables will give you the
biggest *** for your buck health wise. One of the most basic reasons why the Paleo diet
lifestyle is healthy for you is simply because you practically reduce all additives and artificial
preservatives, many of which have been proven to be harmful to your health.
So that's the basic premise which hopefully answers your question, What is the Paleo diet
eating plan all about yet you may still be questioning why you would make the significant
switch to the Paleo Diet.
There are many health benefits associated with this diet and not the least of them is
potential relief for allergy sufferers thanks to the fact that the Paleo is naturally allergen
free. Two of the biggest causes of common allergies, gluten and casein, are commonly
found in manufactured foods. Because the overwhelming majority of foods available on the Paleo diet
do not contain either gluten or casein, allergy sufferers can rejoice!
But don't forget about the weight loss potential for those on the Paleo. Apart from the protein
aspect which is great for weight loss alone, the Paleo diet is naturally low in carbohydrates
and has a low caloric count. It is also naturally high in fiber which is a crucial factor when it comes to over eating
and weight loss. The low carbohydrates combined with the high amounts of natural fiber while
on this diet ensures that the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes and other weight related
illnesses and ailments is decreased.
Last but not least, this diet has none of the other big risks when it comes to heart
disease and cancer like additives, sugar, salt, saturated fats and of course the big
one getting a heap of exposure in recent years, hydrogenated oils or trans fats as they are
commonly known.
At first glance, the Paleo Diet lifestyle can seem like a hard choice to make with limited
food options however if you look closer and explore a little deeper, those fears will
be addressed and upon making some small worthy sacrifices you will be bettering your chance
of actually living a healthier and happier, disease free life! And just remember that
as close as you can get to this lifestyle choice, the benefits will start to appear.
Like as in exercise, 5 sit-ups is better than zero and going for a 20 minute walk is better
than sitting on the couch! Same thing goes for the Paleo! Although following the diet
100% is ideal, your body will still start to thank you for every single step you take
in living the ideals of the Paleo Diet!