What Is the Paleo Diet?

 

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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 bang 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!

P.S. Be sure to check out the Paleo Recipe Book.  It contains over 370 recipes and covers absolutely everything you need.

Paleo cooking provides a simple, natural way of eating that can dramatically improve health, and help you to lose weight in the process. No other weight loss diet is as basic, yet effective. If you want to lose weight fast, increase your energy and your sex drive, improve your immune system and have a clearer, smoother complexion then the Paleo diet might just be the answer. The Paleo Recipe book is just one resource that could help you achieve your goals.

Let's Get Cooking !