What Is The Paleo Diet & What Does It Do?
Many diets have been created to help men and women lose weight and become healthier in their lifestyles. The Paleolithic (or Paleo) diet is such a diet. Its ability in giving people better health and longer life has been used for thousands of years.
Also known as the “caveman diet”, the Paleolithic (or Paleo) diet is a diet that is based on the eating habits of the hominid men and women who had existed over two and a half million years ago, hence its name “Paleolithic”. After extensive research on the nutrition available in those times, this diet was brought into being and menus made from modern food sources have been made to attempt to copy the nutrition intake of the ancients.
What Are the Paleo Diet Concepts?
The concept behind a Paleolithic diet is quite simple. The main thing about this diet is the nutrition you take in. That is, it encourages you to eat the food the men and women from the Paleolithic era would have eaten, the foods that kept them in good health. The main food groups are:
- Drinks: The main staple for this part of the diet is clean water, though tea is also allowed. Sugar-containing drinks and those with artificial nutrition are completely out of the question. Other drinks such as alcohol may or may not be allowed, depending on the source.
- Meat and eggs: These are the most important sources of nutrition in this diet, also including any seafood available. It is preferred that the animals that the meat and eggs come from have been raised on organic feeds, and that the meat must be free from any breading.
- Vegetables and fruits: These are the staples in any diet menu, though some sources disagree on exactly what should or should not be eaten. Most advise to keep away from those with high sugar content, especially when regarding fruits.
- Nuts and seeds: Ancient people also consumed these when they could not get anything else, being that they were also perfect for consumption when on the move. Many health specialists advise to keep the consumption of this regulated, and all sources insist that peanuts and legumes must be avoided entirely.
- Oils: Oils from plants are basically the thing you need for this category. Oils from fish are also sometimes encouraged.
Who Is It For And Who Does It?
Like many diets nowadays, the Paleolithic (or Paleo) diet is for both men and women. This can be exemplified by the fact that many native tribes all over the world have been naturally following this diet for hundreds, even thousands of years.
These hunter-gatherer tribes have no artificial sources of food like civilization today, and they have had no choice in what they eat. However, these men and women are fit and slender and suffer little from diseases, their diet giving them near perfect health.
Where Can I Find More Paleo Information?
There are actually several books available about the Paleolithic (or Paleo) diet, and some websites also offer relevant information. However, some of your own research may be necessary as details in the food that should and should not be eaten can vary depending on the source. Advice from a health specialist will also help you in deciding your diet’s menu.
SEE ALSO: Paleo Diet: Is There Such Thing as a ‘Natural Diet’?