The Paleo Diet Is Nothing New

The paleo diet was created to emulate the diet that our hunter gatherer ancestors from more than 10,000 years ago followed. Obviously they did not eat any processed food yet they were healthy and not obese. They did not experience modern-day diseases like arthritis, diabetes, cardiovascular complications and cancers.

So based on this fact, the easiest way to determine whether something is a paleo food and regain your health is to ask yourself whether a caveman would eat what you are about to eat. If the answer is yes, then it is a go-ahead for eating that particular food but if it’s no, then it would be a hint to stop taking the kind of food. That said there are paleo food snacks that have been created recently that still qualify as paleo food because they have no additives, preservatives or artificial ingredients in them.

More About Paleo Foods:

The human body is very adaptable and in those hunter gatherer times we adapted to be able to adjust for periods when there was scarcity of food. Our ancestors were practicing intermittent fasting without even knowing what it was. This is also why they tended to instinctively be drawn to foods containing healthy fats and higher calories to help sustain them in periods when there was little food. The reason so many people are obese today is because they have access to whatever they want steps away and eat just because of the convenience, not necessarily because they are hungry.

One of the biggest problems with most of the modern diet is that in general it lacks a balanced supply of both macro and micronutrients. When your body is experiencing a deficiency in a particular nutrient, it will initiate a hunger stimulus in your brain that will cause you to eat more. This is again why we have an obesity problem, People are consuming large amounts of calories but there is no nutritional value so the brain sends signals that the body is hungry when it reality it is simply starving for the proper nutrients.

Eating paleo foods gives your body the nutrients that it naturally craves without adding empty calories that have no nutritional value. Everything you eat on a paleo diet has the macronutrients and micronutrients your body craves including grass fed meets, wild caught fish, free range poultry and eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables and certain nuts. The paleo diet also is rich in natural fiber which not only helps keep you feel satiated but is essential for overall health. Paleo foods are naturally low in sugar which is a big advantage to those who may be borderline or Type II Diabetic. Recent studies have shown that Type II Diabetes can be controlled and even reversed with the proper low glycemic diet.

Paleo food eaters rightly say that even though our physical environment has changed dramatically from that of our hunter gatherer ancestors, our bodies are still the same and respond to the same kind of paleo diet they followed. Some firmly believe that the onset of so many modern diseases especially cancers are associated with eating unnatural overly processed foods.

Just as a little evidence as to how eating an all-natural diet like the paleo diet can do for health and vitality, there was a Native American chief called American Horse who fought in the Battle of Little Big Horn with Crazy Horse. American Horse was in his 70s and still fighting as a warrior, he only died days later after being shot in the stomach by soldiers who had tracked him down and cornered him. Most people in their 70s today can barely get up and down out of a chair let alone do anything remotely like that!

When it comes to nuts or seeds, we want to eat the ones with the most concentration of omega-3 fatty acids so pecans, walnuts, macadamia, almonds and cashews are the best. Stay away from peanuts, they are not nuts, they are actually legumes.

Vegetables & Fruits to eat on the paleo diet:

The Paleo Diet:

The paleo diet is growing daily as more people are getting concerned with what they eat, we are looking for ways to prevent or lose weight. By recreating our early human diet, we are getting in touch with the ancient taste while reaping all the benefits that come with it.

These foods are not permitted on the paleo diet:

• Cereal Grains
• Legumes (peanuts, beans, lentils, tofu)
• Refined Sugar
• Processed Foods
• Refined Vegetable Oils
• Salt
• Artificial Sweeteners

Grains

No more Captain Crunch! On the paleo diet you cannot eat cereals, crackers, pasta, bread, or rice and you cannot drink beer. No grains are allowed on the paleo diet because they are all derived from modern agriculture. Remember the question from above? “Would a caveman eat it?”

In addition grains are very high in carbohydrates which can not only cause your blood sugar to spike but can also lead to insulin resistance which can add visceral body fat and lead to diabetes. Grains have been shown to be one of the primary causes of inflammation in the body as well causing issues such as arthritis and some autoimmune disorders.

Legumes

Legumes belong to a large family of plants having a seed or pod. This category includes all beans, peas, lentils, tofu and other soyfoods, and peanuts. Legumes are not allowed on paleo because of their high content of lectins and phytic acid.

Processed Foods

As alluded to earlier processed foods are not allowed on the paleo diet including refined sugar, refined vegetable oils, and artificial sweeteners. All of these contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity.

Get back to basics and get your health back with paleo and intermittent fasting.