The Paleolithic diet or more famously known as the Paleo diet is a fitness trend that lets dieters eat solely on food that was only available during the Paleolithic age. This fitness revolution was the idea of Gastroenterology Walter Ventolin in 1985, and it was further developed by Stanley Boyd, Eaton and Melvin Konner. Although it had existed during the mid 70’s, the Paleo diet was only popularized by Loren Cordain in 2002 with his book The Paleo Diet. He called this type of fitness lifestyle such as it describes a lifestyle similar to that of the stone-age.
What to eat when you’re on a Paleo Diet
Although there is a wide variety of meal interpretations, one of the basics being recommended in a Paleo diet is non-processed food such as vegetables, fruits, meat. The Paleo diet is all about the stone age. Cordain has recommended that Paleolithic men only ate 55% of calories from lean meat & seafood, both evenly divided, 15% calories are gained from fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.This is often called the “Paleo Nutrition Pattern .
What to avoid when in a Paleo Diet
The diet also excludes the intake of food such as sugar, dairy products, salt, alcohol, and coffee. Basically, the diet does not only avoid modern food, but it also avoids the Neolithic food where humans had learned to live an agricultural lifestyle. This means you avoid oils, salt, legumes as well.
Benefits of Paleo Diet
- Research suggests that the Paleo diet improves the body composition. It is said that the Paleo Diet improves metabolic effects more as compared to other types of Western diet.
- The Paleo Diet apparently allows the brain to be more healthy as fish, a staple of the Paleo diet, is rich in protein. Fish is also rich in omega three fatty acids. This nutrient is lacking in modern day diets. Omega 3 Fatty Acids contain DHA which is a crucial nutrient for brain development. It is also good for the eyes, and heart
- Sugar is also one of the most fatty food that the modern world is addicted to. The Paleo diet completely removes sugar thus preventing the “Leaky gut syndrome” that is caused by inflammation within your intestinal tract. This is widely caused by processed food.
- The Paleo diet also suggests eating ALL vegetables, which is one of the reasons why this diet is 100% effective. Vegetables are sources of vitamins such as dietary fiber, potassium, folic acid, vitamin a, b, up to zinc
Going old school isn’t alway such a bad thing especially if you’re health benefits greater from it.