Yep, we know what you’re thinking. ANOTHER fad diet that we’ll do for a month and then pretend it never happened. However, the Paleo diet is being adopted by thousands of people across the world, and they’re sticking to it! You don’t have to count calories, you don’t have to have tiny portions, you don’t have to live off a singular lettuce leaf each day, and you don’t have to give up meat. Instead, you just have to give up all of the artificial colors and flavors of modern society and live as the cavemen did. Wanna know more? Check out all the information on the Paleo diet in a nutshell.
Paleo diet history
If you’re wondering where the Paleo diet came from, you’ve come to the right place. The Paleolithic living is a concept that has been around for hundreds of years, but it wasn’t until 1975 that gastroenterologist, Dr. Walter L Voegtlin, formed the concept of a Paleolithic diet. His ideas were written in the book, The Stone Age Diet, which has since been the basis of the whole diet and lifestyle.
Looking back
The Paleo diet allows us to look back into the past, and look at a couple of comparisons. In today’s day and age, the modern man or woman is inundated with microwave meals, candy of all shapes and sizes, boxes and cans of any food you could think of, fun flavors and colors which are made of artificial colors and lacking essential nutrients. Because of this, many people are overweight, sleep deprived, and pretty stressed out. Could this be because of our diet? Well, when you compare us to cavemen it shows that diet plays a huge part in our well-being. A few thousand years ago, the average Homosapien was thin, athletic, muscular and in-shape. And what did they eat? Fruit, vegetables, and meat.
What can you eat?
The idea behind the Paleo diet is to eradicate any food that cannot be naturally hunted or gathered, and gets rid of any unwanted and unneeded sugar – unless it’s from natural fruit! To build a healthy Paleo diet, you can eat the likes of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts and seeds, seafood, and healthy fats. You’ll need to avoid any dairy food, grains, legumes, starches, alcohol and processed food and sugar. Basically, you’ll need to avoid any food that was not around when our ancestors were!
Why the Paleo diet?
You may be thinking about the food you love to eat, and the food in your fridge and cupboard and thinking – “But it’s so yummy. Why would I do the Paleo diet?” Well, scientists from across the world have found that sticking to an all-natural diet can drastically improve your health and well-being. Not only will this diet allow you to lose weight, but the Paleo diet will also improve your blood lipids and improve your autoimmune system.
Is it all good?
Of course, with any big dietary change in your life, you may notice that you may exhibit negative symptoms associated with the change. You may feel weak, to begin with as your body begins to deal with the loss of carbs, and you also may find it difficult to stick to – especially when eating at restaurants or round a friends house. However, just making small changes over a long period of time will also increase your chances of a healthier lifestyle.
If you’re looking to start the Paleo diet, it is always best to consult your doctor or GP before making any large lifestyle choices as this could affect your health or any existing medical conditions. Once you’ve been given the all-clear, though, you will find that this diet will leave you feeling healthy, energized, and will help you to lose excess weight. Sounds good to us!
